Zootopia whodunit
by SomeRandomPenName
Summary: A gruesome murder, confusing clues and an adventurous pursuit, strewn with humor and emotions! This is my take on the continuation of Zootopia's incredible story. Rated M for uncensored mature content (language, violence, sex, drugs). Judy x Nick.
1. Ch 1 - The Day after Gazelle

**05/20/2018: I WILL BE RE-WRITING THIS FIC TO CORRECT ITS FEW SHAMEFUL GRAMMAR MISTAKES, I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE FOR THEM.**

 **Characters : Judy H. / Nick W.**

 **Genre : whodunit/romance/humour**

 **Rated : M**

 **What to expect** : This is my take on the continuation of Zootopia's incredible story. I will keep it as in-character as possible, although I will give you more than a children story ;). Rated M for uncensored mature content (language, violence, sex). I wanna explore Judy and Nick's relationship, although don't expect mushy sentimental trash from me, nor hard-core porn-level sex. I wanna keep it realistic, so that people can actually relate to them. Just like what you would expect for the awesome world Disney has created, with a peep behind the curtain that veils all those adult themes for the sake of their younger audience. Also, a story is not a good story without some mysterious adventure!

 **Updates** : The updates are agonizingly slow, I apologize for that, however the story is still going on, and _will_ be finished, I promise (05/20/2018)

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Chapter 1 – The day after Gazelle's concert

Judy let herself into her apartment. She tried not to make any noise; her crazy oryx neighbours could really hear as well as they could scream, and she didn't want to have the whole block awaken at this late hour. Although, she thought, the whole city seemed to have been at that Gazelle concert. She wondered if there was anyone left to wake up in the Grand Pangolin Arms.

She fell onto her bed, a wide grin on her small face. Even though it was stiff and squeaky, it just felt so good to finally lay down. And she had such a good time, she almost giggle herself to sleep. Maybe it was just the carrot martinis that made her so happy. Or the dance, all night long, with all of her friends. Or all the laughs she had with Nick.

When she woke up, warm sunlight was shining on her pillow. _Shit_. She opened her eyes, only to close them back as the sun hurt her sensitive purple irises, letting out a painful yelp. _Shit, shit shit, shit_. Sun was up. This meant her alarm clock didn't go off. She always woke up before the sun to get to the precinct in time.

In thirty second, she was up, dressed, her teeth were brushed and she was out of the apartment. Her head ached from dehydration and lack of sleep. She looked at her watch, while putting her sunglasses on to hide her baggy, red eyes. 6:03. She could still make it to the morning assignments. Coffee would have to wait after the subway ride. She moaned thinking of the terrible precinct machine.

By 6:28 she entered the city hall, which housed the police quarters. A familiar orange figure was watching her from the reception desk.

"Carrots! So you've finally decided to join us." Nick exclaimed. As other officers around him winced, he added a little louder "What happened? Couldn't find the precinct this morning?"

He wore that smug smile and seemed positively energetic, even though he to returned from their night out in the early hours of mourning. In fact he seemed to be the only one fully awake among his colleagues. Clawhauser was looking at his doughnut as if he was trying to see it. Francine had actually weakly hushed Nick as she walked pass him, her eyes so small that they practically disappeared from her huge elephant head. So apparently, every Zootopian was at the concert after all.

But Judy had noticed that Nick too was wearing his sunglasses, and was clutching a mug of steaming hot coffee. When she arrived next to him, he handed her a cup.

"Shut up." She took it without stopping. Nick followed her to the bullpen, still smiling.

They sat on their shared chair. After a long comforting sip, Judy dropped the cup on the desk. She took off her glasses; she knew Chief Bogo wouldn't approve. Nick did the same. She looked at her watch : 6:35. The chief was late. She took another sip of coffee, looking around for him. Some officers sniggered. She narrowed her eyes, suspecting some kind of prank. The coffee was starting to have its awaking effect on her. She shot a look at Nick; he was looking at the door, probably wondering where Bogo was too. She gulped some more coffee. Again, some sneers reached her sensitive ears.

Finally the chief arrived. Judy had never seen him so dishevelled. She knew Nick was just biting back some snarky comment.

Chief Bogo slowly put his reading glasses on his muzzle. They could almost see his irises trying to bring his paperwork to focus, as he cleared his throat. His first words came out shaky.

"Good morning officers."

"And a good morning to you too, Chief!" Cheerfully answered Nick, louder than he normally spoke. Soft complaints abounded from the officers around them.

"Wilde." Bogo simply warned, slowly closing his eyes. "Shut it."

"Huh, so everyone's cranky this morning" Nick muttered on the side for his bunny friend.

Judy brought her cup to her lips to hide her smile. Some colleagues downright laughed out loud. The chief let out a sigh of exasperation.

"You think you're funny, Wilde?"

"Most of the time, yes." Answered the fox with a mischievous smile.

Confused, Judy searched for the source of their amusement. She looked under her coffee mug. It read, in big black letters: 'I'M A TWAT'. She let out a frustration groan, frowning at Nick, while a couple of the surrounding cops laughed under their breath.

"Alright, ALRIGHT! Officers," the Chief continued, "time for some assignments."

While Bogo listed all their tasks, the appointed officers slowly left the room, some of them still yawning. It was going to be a slow day. Judy and Nick were assigned traffic surveillance, which usually they would have found boring, but it suited Judy just fine that day.

"Come on Carrots, lets go get you something to eat" said Nick, while letting her pass under his arm which hold the door for them.

"Who says I didn't eat this morning?" She answered.

"Your stomach." He simply said.

He wasn't wrong, it did growl in indignation.

"And you, Nick, how come you are so awake and joyfull this morning? It's not your style."

"Didn't wanna miss the show! All those roughneck mammals so vulnerable." He added dreamily. "I'll sleep later, in the car."

"Nick!"

"You know I'm joking, Carrots! I love my job. You've got to stop falling for that, you're making it to easy." He winked at her.

Her frown melted instantly. She did feel lucky to have him to tease her and make her days happier. They had arrived at their SUV. Judy reluctantly handed the keys to her partner.

"You drive today."

"Oh? Did a certain rabbit have to many drinks last night?" He chuckled while getting on the driver seat.

"Don't get use to it." She said, massaging her aching temples. "This is just for today."

Judy loved driving. She drove purposely from point A to point B, at the exact prescribed speed. Maybe sometimes even a little bit faster, although she never would have admitted it. Nick was a slow driver, like there wasn't a care in the world, and no precise goal to their day. Which irritated her. When he drove, she spent most of the time stepping on her imaginary gas pedal. But since today was going to be a lot of sitting around anyways, it was fine.

They stopped at a pastry shop for breakfast, both wearing their sunglasses back, and parked themselves discretely in an alley to watch a '4 stop' intersection close by. Mammals tended to skip this one, because it was such an important artery, crossing a small road rarely used. It seemed like no one bothered to go to work that day, so Judy had time to savour her bagel, while keeping a watchful eye on the intersection. Even if she was so tired, and even if it was boring, she could not resist a job well done. Most of the time, Nick just hang back and enjoyed watching her go, occasionally adding his slightly larger figure to hers when he sensed resistance from the civilians. Judy did not need his help to look imposing, but she did appreciate to know someone had her back.

After a successful collect of tickets, they moved to one of the highways for a bit of speed surveillance by radar. They ended the day driving across the city center, making sure that traffic lights were respected. Finally, Nick drove them back to City Hall. This was the part of the day she disliked most : parting. She loved her job, liked most of her collegues (she did still get some harsh comments on her size or sexe), and, above all, she enjoyed her partner's company. There wasn't a lot to do, all alone in the Pangolin Arms. After grabbing some paperwork to bring back home – _better than doing nothing tonight –_ , she waved Nick and Clawhauser goodbye. They had their special 'see you tomorrow' handshake, which lasted for _ever_ , and she was kind of tired.

"Carrots, wait!" Nick came trotting after her. She raised her big purple eyes at him. "If your not too tired, I thought maybe you would like to join me and some friends for some board games tonight."

"I don't know Nick, I really _am_ tired..."

"Oh come on Judy. It will be fun!" He smiled.

How could she say no to that handsome face? She sighed.

"Alright. I'll go freshen up. Where do I meet you?"

"Your apartment is on the way there, I can pick you up."

"Ok. Text me when you get there."

The broad smile on her face didn't go unnoticed by the passengers on the subway on her way back.


	2. Ch 2 - The Monopoly Hustle

I had another chapter ready, lucky you ;)

Thanks a lot to everyone who follows this story, it's nice to know you have an audience :) Feel free to leave your comments!

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Chapter 2 – Monopoly Hustle

'Nick : Your handsome ride is here!' The letters appeared on Judy's buzzing phone.

Looking through the window, she saw his old Coyota station wagon parked on her street. Smiling, she hurried to join him.

"I wouldn't exactly call this car 'handsome'." She said while entering the car. She wiped the rust of the hand she had used to seize the handle.

"I wasn't talking about the car." Nick reproached.

"You don't want to get a nicer ride, I know you have a decent salary." She teased him, ignoring his comment.

"Why? It works." The fox simply said, shrugging.

Judy couldn't argue with that logic.

"So, who are those friends?" She asked.

"Oh, just some old friends. You know Finnick. We still hang out some times." He answered, looking at the road.

Nick parked the car on a narrow street, flanked by rows of cheap apartments. It didn't look like a particularly wealthy neighbourhood. They went through the backyard and down a flight of stairs. Nick knocked on the basement door.

"Nicky, ma boy!" Boomed the minuscule fennec.

They exchanged a quick high paw.

"And you brought Officer Toot-toot!" he sneered.

Judy scowled. She had made considerable efforts to be nice to this fox and overlook his criminal activities, mostly because he was Nick's good friend. But the efforts seemed to be unilateral.

"Ha, lighten up." His loud voice was always funny to Judy. "I'm never gonna let that one go, might as well get used to it."

He stepped back laughing to let them in. Finnick led them to a kitchen table were three other mammals were waiting for them. He invited them to take a seat, while himself climbing on top of two old milk boxes to reach the table. An old album of Rage against the Mandrill was playing in background. Judy's eyes fell on the table top.

"Nick!" She hissed suddenly, gripping his shirt. "Board games?"

"Sorta…" He mumbled.

"It's a poker game! With money on the table! You _know_ that's illegal!"

She couldn't believe Nick actually invited her to a criminal activity.

"Ah come on Carrots." He said looking fondly down on her "Stop worrying, we're not hurting anybody. It's just game night. You'll see, it's really fun. And that's monopoly money you see."

His friends sniggered. She hated it when he made her look stupid.

"Alright," she conceded, a look of determination on her pretty face "I'll play."

Judy was quite determined to humiliate him. She had had her fair share of practice at card games at Bunny Borrow's family meetings. She swiftly took the 20$ worth of monopoly bills he handed her and sat at the table. She was introduced to Bandit, a young raccoon, Rocky, a rough looking wallaby, and Ghost, an elegant female lemur. She was not so sure those were real names.

"Lady, gentlemen," Judy announced with all the seriousness in the world while she seized the deck of cards "let's play poker."

All responded by impressed faked howling, ending in laughter.

"Haha, she's so in for the win!" cried Finnick with his loud voice. "Nicky, you better watch your back!"

Judy fired a warning look at Nick, who looked sincerely worried. She started distributing the cards (since all of them were playing, there was no croupier).

The games succeeded each other quickly. There was not much talking; Judy's competitiveness had triggered the other players who suddenly took the outcome very seriously. She was killing it. She could see Nick trying his best to read her game, but she was unfathomable. On the other end, the fox really had an expressive face.

After an impressive showdown where Judy surprised everyone with her four of a kind, she dealt new cards to everyone as 'Renegades Of Fox' played.

"Oh Carrots, this time you are going to prostrate yourself" Nick cooed.

"Oh, I thought 'Prostrate' was your middle name Officer Wilde." She teased. She did wonder what that P stood for, but Nick would never tell.

Finnick almost choked on his beer.

"Fucking told, Nick! Ha! She's good!" He slapped Nick's back in his laughter. The red fox's face expressed outmost annoyance.

But as the rounds passed, he kept betting up, making the others fold. When the river was revealed, only Ghost, Nick and Judy were still in the game. Judy decided it was time for a bold move: she called all in. She had acquired quite a lot of money in the previous hands. She delighted in seeing Nick flinch, but showed none of it.

"Alright, I'm out." Called Ghost. "Hope you have something good Nick. I'd like to stop loosing my money to this clever bunny, it's starting to get insulting!"

Her pretty white hands folded her cards. Judy and Nick looked at each other. Nick moaned.

"Fuck it. Fold." He mumbled.

"Ha ha ha! Gimme tha money!" Judy sniggered, which made the others laugh even harder.

Finnick had to hold his ribs, trying to find some air.

"Why didn't you bring her earlier? She's tha baowm, Toot-Toot girl!" He high pawed Judy.

Maybe that wasn't meant as an insult after all. Judy couldn't help smiling smugly. She only had one high card, a jack. Nick caught her look.

"I knew it!" He groaned. "You had nothing!"

"Nope." She answered, grinning.

When they closed the game, Judy had most of the money (a luxurious 100 monopoly dollars). Teasing, she stroked her bills tenderly, before they were snatched from her hand.

"Hey!"

"Time for the exchange, Carrots." Nick winked.

He put five 20$ bills in her hands, and took one back.

"That's for the 20$ I lent you to enter the game, sweetheart."

It took Judy a few seconds to understand what had happened. She was horrified.

"Nick! You said there wasn't real money at stake!"

"Would you have played? Come on, it's harmless enough." He patted her head. "Let's go, it's getting late."

She pouted all the way to her apartment. But before she got out, she admitted:

"Nick?"

"Hm?"

"… I did have fun tonight."

"Me too, Carrots." He smiled.

His smiles had the power to make her feel better instantly. She chuckled.

"See you tomorrow partner."

She was almost done closing the door of his battered old car when he called:

"Hey, Judy?"

Only her ears exceeded over the open window of the car door.

"Yeah?"

"I-"

Judy's cellphone buzzing interrupted him. She looked quickly at the screen. It was a text from Clawhauser.

"It's the job, Nick." She said, feeling this couldn't be real. "They found a body."

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Ooooooh what did Nick have to say? And yeah, getting into the action!


	3. Ch 3 - The Crime Scene

A longer chapter for you :) thanks to everyone who faved and followed the first chapters, it's really appreciated! Here's some action for you, at last!

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Chapter 3 – The crime scene

Judy had sprinted back to her apartment to get her police uniform. Nick sat in the car, waiting for her. It seemed surrealist that a murder could have happened in Zootopia. A small part of him was nervous about it… could a predator have…? _No, that's stupid, Nick._

He thought about what he had been about to say to Judy. What _had_ he been about to say? He himself didn't really know. Sometimes, he felt like he didn't told her enough how he appreciated her. How he wished he didn't have to wait until morning to see her again. Of course, in his mind it didn't feel as simple and clear.

"Ok." Judy was back in her seat. "To the crime scene!"

She looked totally serious, but Nick couldn't help thinking that this sounded a lot like "To the batmobile!". The bat was _the_ comic book hero of his childhood.

"It's not funny, Nick." Judy reprimanded him. "Someone has died."

"And you want me to go in my Hawaiian shirt?" he said pointing at his outfit.

"Oh, right. To your apartment, and _then_ , to the crime scene."

He chuckled silently. _To the batcave, and_ then _to the batmobile_. Still funny.

"Yes, mam." He teased, starting the engine.

He pulled in the backyard of his apartment. He quickly went inside to put on his suit. He took a few seconds to analyse the level of mess in there. Plates were piling up next to the sink, and laundry was spread out in the living room. He didn't even bother looking into the bathroom. He was definitely glad a certain rabbit had not decided to show up here.

He came back sprinting to the car. And they were off to the crime scene. Nick could see Judy's restless leg stepping on her imaginary gas pedal. She always did this, and that highly amused him. There wasn't any real emergency; the guy was already dead, wasn't he?

They finally arrived at the address they were given. It was a cheap looking motel, in in a shabby neighbourhood of Sahara square. The area was already closed off by 'crime scene' yellow ribbons, police cars and officers keeping guard. Red and blue police lights were flickering in the night air. They went looking the chief, since they didn't really know what to do in such circumstances. Nick looked at Judy. He was feeling pretty tired himself and he was worried she was pushing herself too hard. Her face was determined, but her falling ears betrayed her fatigue.

"Officers Hopps and Wilde reporting for duty, sir." Judy said when they finally found the buffalo.

"Good, you're here. You can go have a look at the crime scene, bag any evidence you can find, go around and ask your questions. I want you to take the case; you two are my best investigators. The body is in room #6. I warn you, you might want to prepare yourselves for some… twisted shit."

"Yes sir." Judy was always so professional.

Judy and Nick walked up to the room's door. It had been left open by the other officers already there.

"You're sure you're ready for this, Carrots?" Nick asked, with a worried look at his partner. He was pretty sure neither of them had ever seen a dead body before.

He saw her hesitate for a split second, but she answered with absolute seriousness.

"Yes."

She entered first, Nick following closely behind. _Fuck._ The body of a stunningly beautiful zebra lay inert on the dirty carpet covering the room. Her eyes, surrounded by thick long lashes, were still open. She looked like she was only an actress playing dead. A large slit opened her elegant throat. But that was definitely not the most shocking thing about the scene. Her two slender arms and both her muscular legs were missing their hoofs. The blood resulting from these mutilations was covering the scene: her beautiful mane, most of her body, the soaked carpet, the walls…

"This is _sick."_ Nick quietly said. "Why would someone do such a thing?"

"Don't waste your time trying to understand psychos." Answered Officer Wolfford, who was observing the lock on the door with gloved paws.

Officer Delgato was taking pictures of the body and the room. A tapir wearing a lab vest and latex gloves was examining the corpse. She raised her head upon hearing them talking.

"Oh good you're here. I'm Jane, forensics." She extended a paw covered in blood, smiling.

"Officer Hopps." Judy answered, hesitating one moment before declining the pawshake. "And this is my partner, Officer Wilde."

Nick gave Jane a quick nod. The forensic doctor had probably seen worst things in her life, but _he_ didn't feel like opening his mouth right now. He gladly let Judy do the talking.

"So, what can you tell us for now?" Judy asked.

"Well, the victim is a female zebra, of approximately 25 years old. We don't have an id yet. She died of exsanguination."

As Jane spoke, Nick sadly eyed the beautiful face of the unknown zebra. What could she have done to deserve such a terrible ending? This looked so savage. Unpleasant thoughts of wild predators and disembodied preys cast a gloom on his mind. It made him feel highly uncomfortable.

"I will conduct a full autopsy back at the lab to know if it is the slit of the carotid arteries or the slit of the radial and ulnar arteries that is responsible for her death." Upon their confused look, she added: "Was her throat or her wrists cut first? Murder by ankle slitting would be a first. There is quite a lot of blood everywhere but I doubt it could have come from multiple wounds. Usually the first one is fatal, and the other ones don't bleed so much after the heart has stopped. I'm curious to see which one it is."

She said all of this as if she was speaking of the latest movie she had seen, with a lot of interest. Were all forensics so blasé about their jobs? Still, Nick was grateful for her relaxed presence. It diffused the tension a bit.

"And can you tell us the approximate time of death?" Judy went on.

"Oh, I can tell it's pretty recent. That's good, it's easier to pinpoint the precise time of a recent death. By the look of her eyes, and muscle rigidity, I'd say 10 hours. So that would be (she looked at the clock in the room) 1:30 this afternoon."

"Ok. Let's hope someone was at the motel at that time, maybe they heard something." She turned to the fox. "Are you alright Nick? You seem nervous."

Her question surprised him. Still not wanting to open his mouth, he nodded 'Hmm-Hmm' and turned on his heels. The contemplation of the door with Officer Wolford seemed like a more inviting occupation.

"No sign of a forced entry." The wolf said. "Doesn't look like it was picked."

"So, the killer had a key?" Nick tried to seem useful.

"Maybe. Or, more possibly, the victim knew the killer and let him in."

"Or her."

"Yeah, or her." The wolf chuckled. He obviously didn't believe a female could have done such a thing.

"I'll ask the concierge about the how many keys they keep and if anyone else had one to this room."

"You'll have occasion for that, the concierge is the key witness for know. He's the one that found the body. He's a bit shaky for the moment, so they're calming him down, but he'll be ready for your questions soon."

"Good." Nick knew it was strange for him to look so confident on his first murder case, even more so when he had absolutely no idea what he was doing, but that was exactly how he coped when he felt that way.

Casting a look on the scene to hunt for clues, he started on seeing the body again. There was no getting used to it. His bunny partner was rummaging through the victim's personal belongings. Nick put gloves on and joined her, carefully stepping as far away from the corpse as possible in this small motel room.

"You're handling this like a champ, Carrots." He told her.

"I'm just doing my job." She answered matter-of-factly. "Some lunatic did this, and we are going to find who, before he hurts somebody else, or himself."

It was cute how dedicated she was.

"Making the world a better place." He mimicked her.

He extended a paw for a fist bump, to which she responded, smiling. Nick started his search in the small desk. Finding nothing unusual, he inspected the bed thoroughly: its mattress, pillows, quilt and frame. Two ugly floral paintings hang on the wall. On shifting one of them, Nick saw something falling to the floor. A small plastic bag, in which a dozen of green pills lay. _Bingo_. He picked up the bag and waved it for Judy to see, wearing a satisfied smile.

"Oh, Nick, yes!" She exclaimed. "You sly fox!"

He was starting to appreciate that praise a lot. She approached to get a better look at it.

"What _is_ that?" Her big purple eyes squinted at the small pills.

"That's catnip, Carrots."

"Isn't catnip supposed to be like… herbs or something?"

"You know your drugs, partner. This is a concentrated extract. Way more powerful. This little bag must be worth at least a thousand dollars."

"Wo!" She exclaimed, her eyes widening. "That's good detective work, Nick!"

He couldn't help smiling broadly. After thorough examination of the room, they proceeded to interviewing the concierge. He was seated at the reception desk, with a blanket on his shoulder and hot tea in his hands. Judy gave Nick an interrogating look. He knew she was asking him if he wanted to take the lead. He shook his head and gently pushed her to the front. The concierge, another young zebra, lifted his head when he saw the bunny officer walking up to him. He looked very anxious and tired. Nick noticed by the state of his hoofs that he was a nervous chewer.

"Hello sir. Officer Hopps, ZPD."

She was good; just the right amount of compassion and authority.

"Could you give us your name please?"

The zebra's eyes sadly shifted back and forth from Judy to Nick.

"My name is Lester Stripeston. I'm the concierge here." He designated the reception desk to illustrate his point.

"Yes. Can you describe to us how you found…" Judy stopped her phrase there.

Nick realised they still didn't have an id for the victim.

"Yvette." Lester said. "I don't know her last name. She had been living here for a while now."

He stopped talking a moment. Obviously he found her death hard to process.

"I usually do a check of every room before I turn in for the night, to check if anybody needs anything. I knocked on her door and she didn't answer. I found it weird because she never slept anywhere else, and she was always back before my night round. I knocked again. I figured, since she wasn't there, I'd do a rapid cleaning of the room. I got out my keys to unlock the door but it was not locked. I opened the door and…"

His voice broke. Nick knew what he had witnessed, and could imagine how he had felt, especially if he had known Yvette.

"And when exactly was that, Mr. Stripeston?" Judy asked kindly.

"Hum, around 10, I think?"

"Mr. Stripeston," Nick intervened "Can you account for your whereabouts this afternoon, between noon and two o'clock?"

"I… do you– Am I a suspect?" Lester seemed shocked.

"We've got to ask, that's all." Judy reassured him.

"I was… cleaning the pool of the motel. Some residents were outside by the pool, they can confirm I was there."

"Did you notice anything strange at that time? Did you hear anything unusual? See anyone acting suspiciously?" Nick continued.

"No, everything was just like any other day." Lester answered sadly.

"You mentioned the door wasn't locked. How many people had the key to this room?"

"It was just Yvette. And me, of course."

"Do you know of anyone that might have wanted to hurt Yvette?" Judy asked.

"No." Lester answered. "I mean, I didn't know her that well."

He was looking at his teacup, as if he could find an explanation to all of this in the hot beverage. He pondered for a moment and added:

"I know she came to live here after a bad brake up. Her ex-boyfriend had kept the apartment, so she didn't have anywhere to go. She had shown up here with only a small baggage and never went back for the rest of her things."

"Ok. Thank you for your collaboration, Mr. Stripeston." Judy concluded.

Exhausted, they left the removal of the body to Jane's autopsy services, and walked towards Nick's old Coyota.

"Good work, Carrots." Nick winked at her.

"Yeah, good work." She said, sounding unwell. "Excuse me, just a sec."

She turned around swiftly and threw up.

"Wo, Judy, are you OK?" He placed his paws on her small back.

"Yeah." She answered shortly. "Been holding that in for a moment now."

"I know. Rough stuff tonight, eh?" He patted her softly.

They got in the car and drove off. Nick knew how Judy felt. Lack of sleep, general hunger (they often skipped meal in this crazy job) and physcho butchery didn't go well together. But in a few minutes, Judy was asleep in her seat. Nick fought off sleep until he pulled off in front of her apartment. He gently shook her.

"Carrots, you're home."

She didn't stir. That was inconvenient. He looked at her building, exhausted, wondering how many flights of stairs up her apartment was. He took her keys from her pocket. There were only two keys other than the police SUV's one. One was round and engraved with a generic bunny figure – probably the key to her childhood home in Bunny Burrow – and the other was square, engraved with a 7. _That must be her apartment key_. Fortunately, she weighted as much as a feather. He hoisted her up to the door with a 7 on it and opened it with the key. Even if in the dark, Nick could as clear as day. He was shocked to see how small it was in there. This was not an apartment, this was a room. But she had managed to keep it incredibly clean, despite the lack of place. The alarm clock on her desk indicated 2 in the morning. He disabled the alarm. They couldn't reasonably be expected to work in four hours. He put Judy down on her bed. He felt the stupid urge to kiss her good night. He hesitated there a bit, appreciating how her complete trust in him allowed her to sleep while he watched her. Finally, he opted to tell her a simple "see you tomorrow, partner", dropped the keys on her side table, and locked the door's latch from the inside before exiting.

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It seems like you will still have to wait for something to happen between those two... hang in there! ;) don't forget to comment, fav, follow, etc!


	4. Ch 4 - The Statements

Thanks to everyone who is following this story! Here's a few more clues on the murder, and on other things ;)

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Chapter 4 – The statements

Tap tap tap.

 _What is that annoying sound?_

Tap tap tap.

"Nick!?"

Confusion clouded Nick's tired mind. _Where am I? What's going on?_

"Nick!" Repeated an incredulous, familiar voice. "You slept in your car? What the hell?"

The fox opened his eyes. Big purple eyes were peering at him through the fog of his blurred vision.

"Hurrg!" He moaned, stretching. "What time is it?"

"8." Judy briskly informed him through the open window of his passenger door. "What the hell are you doing here? Why didn't you go back to your place?"

How could she talk so fast and articulately right now? He couldn't even calculate how many hours of sleep he'd had. Was that only… 6 hours?

"I was to tired to drive home," He answered while yawning. "I decided it was safest to sleep in here."

"Why didn't you tell me? You could have slept at my place, I would have laid down some blankets and pillows on the floor for you or something!" She apologetically exclaimed. "Do you want me to drive?"

"I don't think I fit on your floor, no offense but it's really cramped up in there."

He threw the keys through the window and laboriously shifted from the driver's to the passenger seat, while Judy walked around to the driver side. She seemed completely vivified by their short night, which didn't make any sense to Nick. He wondered if she had any awareness as to how exactly she got to her bed last night. If she did, it didn't seem to bother her at all, which made the tiniest smile crawl on his face. After a few minutes, his speech-fuelled personality slowly settled back in.

"How come you're so enthusiastic this morning?" He asked his fluffy friend.

"We've got a murderer to catch!" She replied in all seriousness, eyes on the road. "Think fast!"

Nick received a small black notebook in his stomach. It contained the data obtained from the crime scene yesterday: the victim, the evidence and Lester's statement.

"Lots of serious stuff. Where do we start?" He asked her, sincerely wondering.

"We're going to the precinct. We can search the database to see if anything similar pops out. And you can change into a clean uniform, you kinda smell." She added, winking at him.

Nick let out a forced laugh. Obviously, she was fresh as a daisy. Classic Judy.

"And then, we can go at the motel for some door to door questioning." She finished.

"Sweet."

As soon as they arrived at the ZPD, Judy threw herself on her computer and started scanning the entire database with all the zeal she could muster. Nick took his time to shower in the locker room and, once in his fresh uniform, made a beeline for the reception desk, where he shamelessly stole doughnuts from Clawhauser's provision. By the time he arrived, Judy had already tried every keyword she could think of in the system.

"Where have you been?" She scowled.

"I've missed you too." He teased. "Here's your breakfast."

He handed her one of the doughnuts.

"Oh, that's so nice, Nick." She seemed genuinely happy. "Anyways, I've tried everything. There has never been another case of hoofs removing – or whatever the hell that was – before. I don't know what to make of it. What's the meaning of it?"

"It sounds to me like some sort of message. Like the thief getting his hand cut."

"You think she stole something?" Judy pondered.

"I don't know. She did have a lot of drug with her. And seeing as she was no cat, she probably was a dealer. Maybe she kept some of the money for herself?"

"Yeah… maybe." She didn't seem convinced. "Whatever that means, I think we can rule out accidental deaths, like muggings gone wrong. This looks very personal."

The police SUV, with its to ZPD officers on board, arrived at the motel in Sahara Square at 10 o'clock. They had not interrogated the other residents yesterday because it was the middle of the night, but they didn't want to let too much time fly by, since people present that night could end their staying and leave anytime. They informed Lester, who was nervously working at the reception desk, not to let anyone check out before they had questioned everyone. There were nine rooms in the motel, which were all occupied last night, meaning they had eight interviews to conduct. Any information on Yvette would be precious, as they told the poor concierge. Nick would have thought that the young zebra would have taken the day off after such a traumatic experience.

"I run this place," Lester sadly explained. "Most of our residents have been living here temporarily for a while, you know, while they sort things out after bad luck hit them. I know them all by their first name, and they need me, and there's no other employee to substitute for me."

He jumped at the sound of a starting car in the parking.

"This poor lad is not going to last long in this neighbourhood."Nick worriedly told Judy while they walked up to the first door.

Judy cast him a concerned look while knocking on the door. The door opened as much as possible with its chain still bolted. Round, protruding eyes appeared in the small crack, followed by a repressed shriek and the door sharply closed in their face. Judy knocked again.

"ZPD, open-up please. We just want to ask you some questions."

"No police. Please, go." Responded the muffled voice with a strong accent behind the door.

Nick raised an eyebrow at Judy.

"Sir, you heard what happened to one of the guest at this motel last night? Yvette? We need your help to make things right." Nick insisted.

Both police officers observed the door silently. It shyly reopened. A small cape ground squirrel appeared half concealed by the door. He didn't say anything, waiting for them to speak with a mistrustful glare.

"Did you know Yvette?" Judy asked.

"No." The ground squirrel quickly answered. "Just her name."

"Can you think of anything suspicious that might have happened yesterday? Anything that could help us find the mammal responsible for her death?"

"No. Good day." He hastily closed the door in their face.

Nick and Judy quickly discovered that most clients of the motel felt the same way about the police. Fortunately, some were more cooperative.

A kind old goat presented herself as Mrs. Chimwemwe and invited them inside room #4. She gladly confirmed Lester's alibi, as two other residents had done before her. She even managed to remember Yvette's last name: Proudhorse.

"Mrs. Chimwemwe," Judy asked the sweet doe. "Lester mentioned Yvette had an ex-boyfriend. Do you have any information on that matter that could help us?"

"Yes, Vettie did talk about him once or twice." The goat replied with her shaky voice. "I think I saw him once in the parking, screaming and trying to get her to open the door for him. But she didn't answer and eventually he left. That must have been two weeks ago."

"Do you remember anything particular that could help us find him? A description of his car perhaps?"

"No, he took a cab." She shook her head. "But I remember there was something funny about his face. I can't really describe it, but it looked like he was wearing an eye patch, even though I know it wasn't that. I'm sorry, this is not much help."

Nick quickly scribbled in the black notebook while Judy asked the questions. They were almost done with the interviews, only three doors remained. Room #5 was unoccupied. They gloomily past in front of room #6. Nick tried not to think about the inert and bloody body of the beautiful Yvette that probably lay in a morgue at that moment. The next room, room #7, housed an anxious looking porcupine. She looked in pretty bad health. She sniffed a lot, and had a restless leg. The curtains were drawn, plunging the room in darkness.

"What do you want to know about Vettie?" She asked them once they had stated their business.

"We would appreciate any information that could help us catch her assailant." Judy said. "Do you know of anyone that might have want to hurt Yvette? Was she in any sort of trouble?"

The thin porcupine seemed uncomfortable.

"I don't know. I mean, I know she s-… she hum…"

"Sold drugs." Nick completed for her as she lingered.

"Yeah," she looked relieved that they already knew, "maybe she got into some sort of trouble for it?"

Her hand was nervously scratching the inside of her left arm at elbow height. Nick noticed her skin was in bad condition; crusts and little beads of blood were visible where she had scratched it.

"Can you tell us anything about last night? Did you hear anything unusual in Yvette's room?" Judy asked.

The poor girl concentrated for a moment.

"Well, she came home late. At around 10."

"That was Mr. Stripeston checking in on her. She was already in her room." Nick informed her.

She looked unconvinced.

"No, she used her keys."

"It couldn't have been her," Judy gently replied, "she had been dead for hours at that time."

"It doesn't make any sense." The porcupine insisted. "I heard her use her keys when she came home yesterday."

"And what day is it today, Miss…?" Nick intervened.

"It's Katie."

She looked perplexed.

"Doesn't matter what day it is." Katie waved impatiently. "I know what I heard."

"Alright, Katie." Judy said. "Would you mind giving us your contact information, in case we have anymore questions?"

Katie frowned. Obviously, the idea didn't seem inviting to her. But in the end, she seemed to decide that she preferred not to see them coming back here, into her room. She finally but reluctantly gave them her phone number.

And then they were swiftly shown the door and locked outside.

"I know it clashed with our current scenario," Judy answered to Nick's quizzical look, "but I think we can't discard her information yet."

"The girl probably couldn't even tell if its night or day."

Judy gave him a reproachful look. They finished the last two interrogations, and were back at the SUV by the middle of the afternoon.

"I don't know if half of what we got is reliable. Most of them looked like drug addicts." Nick sighed to Judy once they were back in the car. "I mean, 'it might have been a werewolf'," he read from his notebook, "seriously!?"

"At least we have Yvette's full name now, we'll be able to find her in the system." Judy looked at the bright side. "And we have a lead on her boyfriend."

"Yeah, the guy with the 'weird eye patch'." Nick said sarcastically.

"Not helping, partner."

But Nick noticed her lips were quirking in a subtle smile.

Clawhauser was waiting for them at the entrance of the ZPD, wearing what he evidently thought was a menacing glare.

"Wilde! Don't you have some excuses to make?"

"Nope." Nick automatically replied.

"Come on! When are you going to stop stealing my food? Be an adult, bring your own food to work!"

Judy looked from the fox to the cheetah with confusion, when it dawned on her.

"Nick!" She exclaimed. "I'm so sorry Benjamin, I would never have eaten your food, I didn't know."

"Oh, he gave it to you?" The dispatcher instantly softened. "That's ok, precious flower, you can take all the food you want from me. I just mind this thief helping himself."

Nick knew very well that Clawhauser wasn't really angry. They just enjoyed teasing each other, like little brothers. But he absolutely enjoyed Judy's mortification at having stolen something. He gently bumped the cheetah's shoulder with his fist.

"Admit that you enjoy getting to be angry sometimes, thanks to me." Nick smiled wryly.

"No, I don't!"

Clawhauser gripped Nick by the shoulders and they started fake wrestling, grunting. Judy raised her big lavender eyes to the sky and walked off to the officers' office. A shout interrupted them from the second floor.

"Alright, break it up, boys." Bogo returned to his office sighting (I swear, it's like I work with teenagers).

Nick quickly completed his secret handshake with Clawhauser before running off to join Judy at their shared desk. The thing was as huge, as was their shared chair in the conference room. Judy was already completing the paper and virtual case file on the computer, entering the information collected that day. Nick joined her on the enormous chair and put the little black notebook on the desk. He liked feeling the warmth of his bunny partner on his side; it almost made him look forward to the long hours of paperwork following each day's work. Shifting to get a little closer to her, he read his notes out loud for Judy to type on the computer, perfectly content. They discussed each new clue together, building theories from both of their points of view. He didn't feel like ever ending this arrangement, but he couldn't supress the appeal of his hungry stomach some hours later. Reluctantly, he closed the notebook.

"Want to get something to eat, Carrots?" He asked Judy. "It's Friday night after all, and we have the weekend off."

"Are you going to buy something for Benjamin?" She replied, eyes still on her computer screen.

"Yeah," he answered carefully hiding his disappointment from his features. "Go get him."

Nick didn't know why, but he kind of hoped they would have been alone. He quickly cheered up though; he liked getting out for a beer with Clawhauser. He was a real funny guy who never felt like a third wheel. Nick's cell buzzed.

'Judy: He's joining us. Going to the locker-room, meet you outside in 10.'

Nick headed to the male locker-room, quickly changed back into civilian clothing and waited for Judy in front of the main entrance. She came back with an enormous backpack that threatened to throw to the floor.

"Wo, hold up partner!" He halted her, pointing at her backpack. "Is that work? It's the weekend, Judy!"

"Have a little faith, Nick." She answered defensively. "It's my fitness equipment. You know there's a gym here right? You should try it."

The red fox eyed her suspiciously. Clawhauser arrived on the scene, so Nick let it go. They headed on foot to Peter Moose's Bar, a casual pub that was near the precinct. It was always filled with police officers, and Peter all knew them by their first name. A soothing pop remix was playing, with just a hint of sexiness to it, which made Nick truly enjoy the feeling of finally having two days off.

They sat on the stools around a table made out of a splendid polished tree trunk and ordered their beers and meals. The dimly lit vintage bulbs above their heads added to Nick's contentment. Judy was animatedly talking to Clawhauser, but Nick wasn't listening. His tiredness, the ambiance and the sips of beer made him feel like thinking about nothing while staring at her sparkling lavender eyes for the rest of the night, head resting on his hand. Being a good fake listener, his behaviour passed as passionate agreement with whatever Judy was saying. After a drink or two, Judy left them for the restroom.

"Ok, Don Juan, what's up?" Clawhauser pointedly asked Nick when Judy was out of earshot (which involved multiple closed doors in her case).

"What?" Nick came out of his reverie.

The cheetah just gave him a knowing look, hardly holding back a broad smile. He waved his brows at the fox.

"What are you rambling on about?" Nick replied, impassive.

"AAAAWWWOOOOO!" Clawhauser cheered, making some curious heads turn around them. "This is to die for."

"You're crazy."

"Oh come on. You were eating her with your eyes."

"Shut up."

Nick picked up a morsel of his meal and found himself almost nose to nose with Clawhauser upon bringing it up to his mouth. The cheetah's eyes were literally shinning with glee.

"Alright." Nick sharply dropped his food in his plate. "I swear, if you spread out some stupid rumours about us-"

The feline, who always had his cellphone in one hand, cut him out with a deeply offended gasp.

"I would neve- Precious flower!" He suddenly exclaimed.

Judy had regained her seat. Nick anxiously scanned her face, but couldn't find out if she had heard any of their conversation. She simply resumed her discussion with them where she had left off.

Enjoying their evening off, they stayed at the bar late, ordering a few more beers. Judy finally excused herself, claiming she was tired. A bit tipsy, she took her ridiculously heavy rucksack, hugged both her co-workers and left for the subway.

"Why did you get a longer hug then me?" Clawhauser complained maliciously.

"Shut up!"

* * *

Hope you liked it, don't forget to follow/fav/review! :)


	5. Ch 5 - The Girl's Night Kidnapping

Thanks to everyone for the favs and review! Hope you like this new chapter, and that it will satisfy your little hearts! I tried to explore another aspect of the diversity encountered in Zootopia. Also, a little reference to Dexter for those of you who have followed this excellent tv serie :)

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Chapter 5 – The Girl's Night Kidnapping

Judy's tiny apartment was covered in papers; they were everywhere from her floor to her bed, desk and small side table. She had taken home everything she could: their small case file, books on crime investigation and criminal psychology, old cases involving catnip or throats being cut, manuscripts on zebra biology; in short anything that had anything to do with the case. And she read. Although she was more of an action girl, she enjoyed doing some research from time to time. She was a clever rabbit, and she liked to learn new things. She didn't get first of her class without doing some serious studying. She absentmindedly ate her carrot tv dinner on her bed while reading 'Crimimammal minds'. There was a chapter in there about dismemberment, but it rarely seemed to happen below the elbow. There had been an infamous case in the past about a serial killer nicknamed the 'mammal butcher', who dismembered his victims to subtly get rid of the bodies in a nearby beach. And it worked; he was never identified. Curiously enough, the world was better off without most of his victims: abusers, thieves, kidnappers, blackmailers and sometimes murderers themselves. She doubted that an almost harmless street drug dealer like Yvette fitted his victim's profile. She set down the book, ready to close her eyes, when a knock on her door surprised her. She circled around the multiple papers on her floor to get to the door.

To her astonishment, two of her favourite mammals stood behind it: Mrs. Otterton and, in her paws, the tiny Fru Fru. Judy's nose stirred in surprise.

"Hey, what are you two doing here?" She happily asked.

"Getting you out!" The otter replied.

"It's Saturday night!" Fru Fru added. "Woot-woot!"

Judy didn't react, still standing on her doorstep. She had kept in touch with the two females, but they usually saw each other at lunchtime, since they were so occupied with their little families.

"But, what about your children?"

"Oooh, haven't you ever heard of sitters?" Fru Fru waved impatiently.

As a matter of fact, Judy hadn't. Having over 200 brothers and sisters, they usually watched over each other when her parents weren't home.

"But, why didn't you warn me?"

"Becaaaause, would you have come?" The little vole replied.

"What do you mean?"

"You're always working on your day off."

"Whaaat! Pff! I don't… I'm not…"

The two friends shifted to look at the papery mess behind Judy. She hastily stepped outside and closed the door behind her.

"Ok. Just, give me a minute, all right? I'll meet you outside."

She had noticed that both of her friends had made themselves pretty for the occasion so she changed from her slack Saturday cloths into something a bit more sophisticated. Of course, for Judy Hopps, that meant a neat, not too revelling top and leggings.

She followed her girlfriends' desires so they ended up at Fru-Fru's favourite place: a gay Latino dance club. Fru-Fru really enjoyed getting out in what she called the 'big mammal world'; it made her feel just like everybody else in spite of her tiny stature. Plus, she enjoyed looking at all those pretty boys frequenting the club. And Octavia Otterton was a surprisingly good dancer. But one of the most important reasons was that the male mammals left them alone in this club, and they could dance without getting their butt grabbed by every macho that walked by.

"So Judy," the otter spoke once they were sited with drinks, enjoying a good view of the dance floor, "what's this big case you're working? Missing person again?"

Her big eyes expressed true compassion for the imagined victim.

"No," Judy answered, "it's a murder case, actually."

Her friends looked utterly shocked.

"I-eh… don't want to bother you with the details." Judy laughed but it didn't fully cover the distress that filled her when she thought about that poor zebra.

"Hey, I know if anyone can make this right, it's you Judy." Octavia put her paw on the rabbit's shoulder.

"Yes, you're the best Judy! You know I don't choose my children's names lightly." Fru Fru winked at her.

"Oh, how is little Judy?" The rabbit asked.

The conversation shifted towards their child, whom Judy had not seen for quite some time now, being so occupied with her career. She really enjoyed her godmother's role; she was always greeted with glee, she gave away love and gifts, and then she could disappear as she pleased. The perfect role for a cop who worked on her day off and couldn't cook to save her life.

When their drinks were empty, they attacked the dance floor. Fru Fru happily dancing on her shoulder, Judy let herself be lead by Octavia on a rhythmic latin song. She burst out laughing when Octavia made her spin so fast that Fru Fru almost fell to the ground. They decided the tiny rodent would be steadier on Octavia's shoulder. Dances succeeded each other and the friends were really starting to work up a sweat.

The girls were dancing salsa in line when a slender hare graciously offered his hand to Judy. She glanced at her friends, who enthusiastically shooed her away. Thrilled, the grey rabbit accepted the offer and danced with the handsome stranger for many songs. He rarely spoke, but when he did, Judy sensed a Spanish accent, buried under the loud music. Judy had never been so agilely lead; she didn't even know how to truly dance, but it was only too easy to follow the hare's hands. After majestically ending a song by bowing Judy to the ground, he kissed her hand and went away to dance with someone else, a male this time.

Judy re-joined her friends who were resting at a table with fresh drinks.

"Woah, I wish I was still young like you!" Octavia laughed. "I couldn't dance as long as you did."

"I didn't know what I was doing half of the time." Judy admitted.

"You were splendid anyways." Fru Fru reassured her. "Just like that hare. Awrrr, look at that sexy back."

She eyed the lagomorph that was still dancing, teasingly licking her lips.

"Fru Fru! Might I remind you that you're married?" Judy teased her.

"What? So I can't look at the buffet?" She replied with a naughty smile.

Judy laughed. She knew the little vole was only having innocent fun. Octavia decided to join in.

"That pika over there is kind of cute too." She said. "Isn't that species a close relative of yours?"

"He's a _lagomorph_ , yes." Judy agreed. "But he is a bit small, and… I think he is gay." She added, playing the game of 'boy-browsing'.

"Nooooo." Octavia squinted, incredulous, as if hoping to get a better look at him.

"It's not like this is the best place to find you someone after all." Fru Fru admitted. "Besides, you've already got Nick."

Judy chocked on the sip she just took and spitted it in the air. Octavia patted her back.

"I don't _have_ Nick, what do you mean?" The grey rabbit said with a strangled voice.

"Honey, it's just as if. You're inseparable. Why would you need anyone else?" Fru Fru answered, looking quite astonished at Judy's reaction.

"You do have a point." Judy drank her whole glass of mojito in the double object of soothing her sore throat and hiding her reddening face. "I _don't_ need anyone."

The otter and the vole looked at each other, smiling.

"Ha ha, that's our tough Judy. But you know it's ok to rely on others too sometimes."

"I do rely on others. Nick helps me plenty with our police work. I couldn't do as much without him, we complete each other."

"Only at work?" Octavia eyed her.

"Of course not, he is a precious friend. I just meant… we don't have each other… that way."

She gestured at the couples around them dancing suavely on the sexy music.

"I didn't mean it that way either." Fru Fru replied. "You two really have something special. It's like you said. You complete each other."

Judy smiled at her. That was true, she really cherished what she had with her fox friend.

"That doesn't mean it doesn't qualify as love." Fru Fru said, putting her tiny hand on Judy's.

Nick's words came back to Judy's ears. 'You know you love me'. She did. With all her heart.

"I guess you're right." She acknowledged, looking fondly at her insightful friend.

"Plus, I've seen the way he looks at you when you two come to visit your godchild." She winked.

"Ok, that's enough." Judy cut. "Let's go dance. You old ladies must be plenty rested now."

They protested but Judy dragged them on the dance floor. The music was becoming more and more intense as the night advanced. There were soon so many mammals on the floor that the three friends ended up dancing close to a wall that was covered in pamphlets and advertisings for other dancing and party events. The picture of a zebra, repeated over several identical flyers, caught Judy's eye. She couldn't help thinking about poor Yvette again. Squinting over Octavia's head, she fixed the zebra's image. Something was really odd about his face. She stopped dancing and walked up to the wall, grabbing one of the flyers from the wall.

"Hey Judy, what are you doing?" Her friends had joined her.

She didn't answer; she was looking at the zebra's picture. One of his eyes looked weirdly larger than the other. On closer observation, she realised that his fur made a weird black patch pattern around his left eye.

* * *

Yes, I have decided to christen Mrs. Otterton by the name of the actress who does her voice acting. Because it is simply gorgeous and fitted with the character perfectly! I really hope you liked it, tell me what you think in the reviews! Can't wait to share next chapter with you next week ;)


	6. Ch 6 - The Pools

Chapter 6 – The Pools

Judy was relentlessly hitting the #9 button on the intercom of the building. Next to the button, the letters 'Wilde' were handwritten on a small piece of paper. She stabbed repeatedly until she obtained an answer.

"What? Do you know what time it is?" Came a hoarse and irritated voice from the speakers.

"Nick! Open up, you've got to see this!" The bunny replied excitedly, her beautiful eyes wide open.

"Carrots?" Nick's confused voice said.

"Ooooopeen!" She pleaded, jumping into place.

The door buzzed and she swiftly entered the building. She had waited as long as she could before sharing her new lead with her partner. She almost hadn't slept all night, concocting her plan of action, and had forced herself to do her longest morning run to give Nick a bit more time to sleep in. She had even stopped to get them coffees, in the double goal of buying more time and getting Nick to wake up more smoothly. It was now 8:30, and that was as late as she could wait.

In seconds she was standing in front of his apartment door, knocking frantically. Nick opened the door groaning and she quickly moved past him. Clearly, he had just thrown on any cloths he could find; his shirt was all wrinkled and his tie was loose. His fur was messy, and the green of his eyes was barely visible through his narrowed eyelids.

"It's Sunday, Fluff!" He complained. "And soooo early! This has better not be about work… Have you been working yesterday?" He asked menacingly.

"No. I have been out with friends, dancing." She innocently said, handing him his coffee.

"Oh. Thanks."

"Buuut, since you brought up work, I – "

"Here we go."

" – found this at the dance club."

She got the flyer out. Nick rubbed his eye before taking the piece of paper Judy was handing him, and tried looking at it from different distances, squinting.

"How _old_ are you?" She exclaimed.

"None of your business. It's way too early and bright to be looking at something so small."

"There." She pointed on the flyer. "Look."

His eyes widened.

"A zebra with a weird eye patch!" Nick slowly said. "Good catch, Carrots!"

"Yes, so today, I thought you and I could – "

"Go have a little fun because it's the _weekend_." Nick stated loudly.

"Exactly. At the St. Teton Pools." She added with satisfaction.

"But, it's where this event takes place." Nick protested squinting at the flyer again. " _Pool Party in Rainforest district's St. Teton Pools._ " He read.

"Exactly. We can go for a little reconnaissance trip. There's some music festival this week at the St. Teton Pools. We just need to find out when exactly this interesting DJ is going to be present. Bring your swimsuit."

Nick sighted. But there was no arguing with Judy. He went in his room to get ready, while Judy sat on the edge of his couch, sipping her coffee and observing her surroundings. She had never entered Nick's apartment; it wasn't exactly tidy, but she liked it. It looked inhabited, lively. Like her parents' house. Of course, at her parent's, you couldn't walk two steps without bumping into a small bunny, so looking inhabited was unavoidable.

"Here, put that into your packsack."

Nick threw his swimsuit on Judy. She packed it, chugged her coffee and jumped off the couch.

"Alright! To the pools!" She exclaimed.

Nick sighted but then chuckled softly with what Judy could only interpret as a tender gaze. _Or maybe it's just his normal sleepy stare_. She happily hopped down the stairs, closely followed by her dormant friend.

It wasn't until they were in the Coyota, Judy behind the wheels, that Nick found the strength to utter sentences again.

"While we're confessing to having done things we shouldn't have…"

Judy knew he was referring to her working on weekends, even though she hadn't confessed to any of it. Nick had a strict 'no work outside of work' policy. She protested.

"I wasn't working! I was – "

"Dancing, I know. Without me. So yeah, while we're confessing, I may have some information regarding the case as well."

As much as Judy was intrigued by this dancing comment and how serious it was, and even though she knew it was only a cover because he still truly believed (in fact, knew) that she _had_ worked yesterday, she immediately focused on the task.

"What is it?" She asked curiously. "Wait, have you been working yesterday?" She added slyly.

"Well, no, not exactly. It's really nothing in fact… I saw some friends yesterday. Bandit was there."

"Oh?"

Nick sighted, but this time he looked serious.

"Bandit used to sell drugs. He stopped when he had his first daughter. Put all that in the past. But he really is the kind of guy that knows everybody. So I thought maybe he would have some information on Ivette or the catnip traffic."

He paused, massaging his temples, and groaned.

"He did _not_ like that. Became all aggressive, _how could I think he would do that again_ , and everything... I think I may have lost a friend."

Judy cast a side look at her partner. His arms were crossed on his chest, his eyes sadly staring at the windshield.

"Don't worry, he'll come around." She gently said.

Her right hand left the car's shifter to rest on his forearm, her fingers burrowing lightly into his soft red fur. Her hand stayed there for a few seconds but came back quickly to shift gears. The old car protested by jerkily jolting forward. Clearly it was asking to be left to die alone.

Rainforest district was about twenty minutes from their apartments in City Center, when not driving at emergency cop speed. They arrived so early that the site, bordering the ocean, was completely vacant, except for some technicians in black shirts at the entrance, preparing the audio-visual material for Thursday's event.

As the pair walked past the preparations in the large plaza by the seaside, Judy left a careful ear to listen at the technicians present. The festival installations, facing the water, were soon replaced by the pools. Judy's eyes could not get any wider. Even after several months of living in Zootopia, she simply could not believe how majestic the scenery could be. She had expected swimming pools, somehow surrounded by a tropical décor. But the pools were actually natural basins cascading along a narrow, winding waterfall. Gargantuan rocks covered in moss and vines composed the paramount structure. The towering vegetation, gripping the stone and tasting the water with its serpentine roots, was mostly emerald. Bright colors sparkled here and there, where small flowers clustered in the trees and bushes. The water was so pure and still, where it was not stirred by the fall, that it was devoid of color, revealing the dark stone forming the pools' depths.

But the view was not what enchanted Judy the most. It was the sounds. Near silence, punctuated by the rhythmic movement of water: soft plashes, faint splashes and mellow drips. In the distance, melodious cries of tropical mammals welcoming the Sunday morning could be heard.

The fresh air was filled with hazy humidity, clinging under the leaves, hovering over the water and caressing her skin through her fur. When she had finished taking all this in, she realised Nick had walked on. She joined him, sprinting. He was looking at a sign, pegged at the bottom of a trail meandering along the cascade. Judy leaned on his side and read from under his arm.

 _Swimming at your own risk. Violent flash floods (water can rise as fast as 4 feet in 10 minutes resulting in people washed out to sea and drowning) or rock falls can occur in the stream at any time. Injuries and deaths have occurred._

"Well that's reassuring." Nick ironized.

He looked at Judy; his casual features didn't hide a hint of worry from his eyes.

"You're sure you want to do this?" He asked.

"Of course!" She answered eagerly. "They just put that there to avoid responsibility. It can't be _really_ dangerous, otherwise it would be closed off."

" _Deaths_ have occurred." Nick read out loud.

"You're coming or not?" Judy was already several meters deep in the trail.

She heard Nick moan in protest but then follow her. She climbed agilely up the boulders, until they were a couple of hundred of meters high. The pool at that level was hidden away by the vegetation; it seemed cut off from the rest of the world. Intimate. Behind the trees, vines and flowers, they could only see the sky. It felt like a floating island. Judy decided it was the one she wanted to swim in. She dropped her backpack to the rocky ground and got her swimsuit out.

"Er – Do you – I can – "

She heard Nick's mumblings but she simply hid behind a large boulder to change.

"Oh. Right. So we just. Yep."

When she came out in her one-piece swimsuit, Nick was already changed, but he was looking anxiously at the waterfall.

"Stop worrying." She chuckled. "Just have fun with it."

The faint sound of music could be heard coming from the plaza, down by the sea. Soft, rhythmic percussions that perfectly echoed the harmonious heterogeneity of the environment and fauna that composed this district. Judy let her shoulders follow the beat, smiling at Nick while she danced. His expression softened and he approached her on the mossy rock where she stood. She didn't stop her slow shifting following the music, but she suddenly felt nervous. This didn't make sense; Nick being close to her usually made her simply feel exactly where she belonged. The proximity of his tall body, the view of the familiar dark red fur, the reassuring scent emanating from his skin all brought sensations she had not perceived before. Her mouth was dry. Her face felt hot. Her lower abdomen tickled with happiness. She thought about the previous night's conversation with her friends. _Why would you need anyone else?_ She didn't have words to describe such a smile as Nick's.

"So, are we going in, or are we just dancing?" Nick asked, even though he wasn't.

"I thought I was obligated to dance in your presence only." She teased.

She continued her wiggling motion, while he eyed her, annoyed. Suddenly she felt herself being lifted from the ground and thrown into the water. Nick immediately jumped after her, while she emerged gasping for air. She splashed his face giggling and dived to avoid retribution. She started swimming away but felt Nick's paw closing on her ankle. He strongly pulled her back; she couldn't do anything to free herself. He teasingly pushed her head under the water, promptly releasing his grip and swimming away. She went after him laughing.

The morning was spent away wrestling, swimming, diving in the basin or sunbathing on the mossy stones, toes in the water. Judy couldn't think of a day she had spent so lazily happy. She was floating on her back in the water, gazing at the treetops and sky, when she caught Nick looking at her absentmindedly, with a carefree smile. He often did that. She joined him on the rock where he lay. She settled herself next to him, their shoulders pressed against one another as they watched the branches sway high above them.

Nick gently lifted his arm up from between their adjoined bodies and wrapped it around her shoulders. He used it to push her closer; she felt herself pressed against him, against his warm, soft fur, from shoulders to toe. She rested her head against his shoulder, content.

At that moment she realised: she was, even though unintentionally, his. And he was hers. Nothing had ever felt so true to her.

They relaxed for a few minutes, eyes closed and slowly breathing, when Judy's stomach protested loudly.

"Yep, I'm hungry too." Nick got up and hoisted her to her feet. "Let's go find something to eat."

They both changed back and followed the trail down to the plaza. Mammals were starting to take over the pools, crowding the plaza and seaside. The music was still playing in the large speakers all around the venue. Snacks were bought and the partners found a quiet spot by the seaside to eat.

"As much as it pains me to ask," Nick told his companion, his mouth half full, "how did you want to… proceed for our information harvest on the patched-eye zebra?"

"Oh." The zealous bunny had almost forgotten about the purpose of this little outing. "I don't know. I though we would just… hang around and… listen."

"Alright then I don't need to be working on this blissful Sunday. You hear a thousand times better then me anyways. For my part, _I_ am actually going to enjoy myself, while you work yourself to death."

Judy ignored his snarky comment. They didn't get to her anymore; she knew he made them because he actually cared for her, but wasn't very good at expressing it. They quickly finished their meals and started dawdling around on the plaza, mimicking tourists admiring the scenery. Judy listened for a good part of the afternoon, but the technicians never seemed to talk much. She finally lost patience and grabbed Nick by the arm. He started.

"What are you doing?"

"We are going to ask. It's going to be much quicker." She answered, a resolute look on her face.

Nick's ears fell back, along with his brows.

"You do the talking. I'm not working today."

When the couple arrived near a very good-looking antelope wearing a black shirt, Judy timidly draw his attention, an attitude that was very unlike her.

"Ex – Excuse me. Hello? Hi. Are you working for this musical festival thing?"

The antelope nodded, visibly annoyed.

"Oh," she continued with an air and tone that were the pure representation of a 'dumb bunny', "I was wondering if you could tell me when this DJ is hosting… Sweetheart, what's his name already?"

Nick looked utterly confused at being called upon, almost looking over his shoulder for the sweetheart in question, an expression that was mirrored on the antelope's features as he looked from the bunny to the fox.

"You know, the zebra! The one with the weird pattern in the face. What's his name… ze – zeeeh –"

"D-Jay-Z?" The employee answered.

"Yes! Yes! I just adore him. When will he be here?"

"This Thursday, mam. Show starts at midnight."

Judy had to stump on Nick's foot to stop him from exclaiming "Midnight!?".

"Oh, thank you very much! Have a nice day!"

She dragged her partner away.

"Seriously, how old are you? _Midnight_!" Judy sighted.

"I'm starting to dislike this question very much, Fluff." Nick scolded. "And look at you, playing the dumb bunny so well! And making me pass for some sort of weird sugar daddy who doesn't care for brains…"

"And you were very good at it." She said, as if replying to a compliment.

"Zee – Zeee – Zeeh?" He mimicked her.

"He's a zebra that's a DJ. Of course there's gonna be a Z in his name."

"Clever bunny." Nick chuckled.

Judy realised she was still clinging to his arm, but she stayed there, as he didn't seem to mind. They were back to the car, and the sun was slowly starting to descend on the horizon. As usual, Nick let Judy drive, disappearing behind his sunglasses. He didn't talk on the way home. She knew him well enough to know that even though he feigned relaxation, he was pondering on something.

She parked the car in front of Nick's apartment.

"I had a really good time, Nick." She told him, giving him the keys back. "Thanks for coming with me, even though it was your day off."

He looked surprised.

"Don't say that, of course I want to be with you even on my day off."

"I just meant, even if I forced you to work."

He looked down at her, smiling. _Oh-oh_. Her ears and face felt hot again. She couldn't uphold his gaze so she quickly averted hers towards the dash.

"You know, it's really still early." His gentle voice said. "You wanna come in?"

Her nose twitched. _Stupid nose_.

"It's gotta be more interesting then going back to that cramped room of yours." He chuckled softly.

She thought about her floor and bed covered in papers and books.

"Hum. Yeah. I can stay a bit."

Nick smiled. "Good."

She had never hung out alone with Nick when they were not working, let alone in his apartment, which for some reason made her feel nervous. But the fox seemed so casual about this, it rapidly shook the feeling away.

"Make yourself at home." He told her, shoving clutter away from the sofa and diner table. "I've got some tv dinners lying around."

He started rummaging in his pantry. Judy sat cross-legged on the sofa. Nick had a pretty view of the city from his windows. He joined her with warm dinners in their cardboard boxes and two beers.

"Stir-Fryed vegetables for you, milady." He said with a snob accent and a bow, handing her the cheap meal, which made her laugh. "And a malt beverage."

He grabbed the remote.

"And of course, images in the magic box to accompany this wonderful meal."

"Can't wish for more." She sincerely said.

He looked at her, expressionless for a few seconds, then shifted closer to her, until they were hips to hips.

"Me neither, Carrots."

And they ate their diners, carelessly zapping, watching some news, laughing about stupid shows and catching some movies in the middle, wondering about the beginning. In the end, Judy's head had fallen onto Nick's thigh, and she was fast asleep. Her active body and mind never seemed to stop; when she was in her apartment, she often thought about everything and anything for so long before finally falling asleep that her nights were even shorter than they looked. She was always up before the sun, eager for another day's work. But when she was with Nick, she always felt like slowing down, enjoying things and her worries faded. She slept easily and deeply.


	7. Ch 7 - The Lab's Results

Hi everyone! So glad I always find the way to publish each weak and not let you down. I'M having some trouble finding internet connection these day, and I might have some trouble for the next 2 weeks, sorry if I keep you waiting. But I will try to publish on the weekend as usual ;)

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Chapter 7 – The Lab's Results

When Nick woke up the next morning, he found himself smiling for absolutely no reason. It was way too early. It wasn't a day off. It certainly wasn't Christmas. But it almost felt like it. He could almost still feel Judy's light head on his lap. The softness of the fur covering her ears. Her subtle scent in his nose. He had put off going off to bed until he practically slept standing. As much as he would have preferred to sleep near her, and he had debated over that (Nick was not afraid of inappropriateness), he had decided that they both needed a real night of comfortable rest – which would not be achieved sharing a small couch. He walked to the living room, wondering how he could wake up his partner in the most prankish way. But the couch was empty.

He stared at it for an instant, disappointment squeezing his chest ratter stronger than it should have. But then he spotted the familiar light blue backpack near the entry door. Satisfied, Nick decided to assess the available food in his pantry, and to try to whip up some sort of breakfast. Now he slightly dreaded Judy's reaction at having spent the night. Was this going to be awkward? Would she be mad?

Judy entered the apartment a few minutes later. She was wearing her running cloths, her earphones on.

"Oh hi, you're up!" She exclaimed delighted. "Hope you don't mind, I had my things so I decided to go for a run. I'm not making us late, am I?"

She looked at her phone, anxious. Classic Judy. No awkwardness then.

"Of course not." He smiled. "You rabbits are always so punctual. Come have a bite."

"Sweet. Thanks Nick."

She attacked the poor toast in her plate. Nick had found some fruits to complete the meal, but he had almost been ashamed to put them in her plate. They looked old and dried compared to what grew on her family's farm. He sadly didn't have anything better to offer her. But she didn't comment and quickly ate everything.

"Mind if I hit the shower?" She asked him, pointing at her sweaty t-shirt.

He must have made a face, because she quickly added apologetically:

"Ho, did you need to go to? I can wait!"

"No, no, you go, I'll go after." Nick replied, resisting the urge to casually answer _there's room for two in there_.

Besides, he knew Judy would be so fast it wouldn't change anything to his morning routine. He had to mentally beat himself not to think about what he was missing in his bathroom at the moment, nervously eating his breakfast. Thankfully not for long, as he quickly heard the shower stop and door handle turn. Judy walked past him, wearing nothing but a towel.

"Forgot my clean cloths!" She grabbed her bag and quickly returned to the bathroom.

Nick didn't say anything, too caught off guard to react. The towel had barely hid her curvaceous hindquarters, revealing her muscular upper tights, where her fur was so short it was almost bare grey and pink skin. The sight of her perfectly proportioned and almost nude body had triggered wild feelings in the fox, especially below the belt. He had seen her in her swimsuit, but somehow it was not the same to _know_ she didn't have anything covering her exquisite behind. He remembered her dancing in her perfectly moulding bathing suit. _Oh God_. The excitement was replaced by anxiety, as suddenly as it had appeared. _Clawhauser was right, the son of a bitch_. Until now Nick had not reflected much on his relation with his partner. Of course he loved her. He wanted to be with her. To protect her. To make her laugh. But he had always assumed that was within the extent of a perfect friendship. But the images that had flashed in his head while she had passed half-naked in front of him… those were certainly not things you did to a friend. Were they even remotely appropriate? She was a rabbit after all, and he was a fox. And even if they were, there was very little chance that she would see things the same way. The tightness in his chest had come back running.

"I'm done! You can go!" He heard Judy's voice happily declare.

He raised his eyes from his unfinished breakfast to see her wearing her police uniform and casting him a worried look.

"Everything ok?" She asked.

Nick now realised that whatever she would wear, he would always find her attracting. He looked at her beautiful lavender eyes. He had always seen them, and every inch of her body, for what they were – utmost perfection – but now he realised _how_ he saw them: with desire.

"Nick?" She was still eyeing him with a concerned look.

"Yeah, I was just thinking about the case. You're starting to have a bad influence on me, carrots. We're not even at work yet!" He reprimanded her, as if it was all her fault.

Woof. Faculty of speech had come back to him. He threw away his half eaten meal and quickly went for the bathroom, under the confused gaze of his partner. Nick took a cold shower, chasing away the thought of Judy naked at the exact same spot where he stood a few minutes earlier. Preys almost didn't scent anything, but foxes had such a sensitive nose that he could still smell her odour in the room, so it was no easy task not to think about her.

When he joined her by the entryway, she was wearing her usual "make the world a better place" smile. Good. She had not stick on his weird behaviour.

They arrived at the station together, something that Nick did not think had ever happened. He knew most officers wouldn't pick on that, caring as much as Bogo about their personal lives, but he doubted Clawhauser would let such a juicy piece of information pass without reacting. There was no avoiding the reception desk.

"Precious flower!" The cheetah exclaimed at seeing his favourite rabbit. "Since when do you to show up here together?" He added with a teasing smile.

 _Obviously_.

"Nick gave me a lift this morning." Judy happily replied.

Nick kept his face still, wearing his usual sly smile, even though her answer surprised him. As thankful as he was for Clawhauser staying ignorant of their little stay over, he couldn't help feeling a bit betrayed. Was Judy ashamed of their behaviour? Of him?

Lost in his thoughts, his morning was unproductive. Judy was burrowed in books, searching for any useful information. Nick's eyes were sliding along the words written on the pages in front of him, without reading. His focus always came back to Judy's warm thigh brushing his.

Since it was a slow day, they decided to go out for lunch.

"Why are you so quiet today?" Judy asked as they sat down with their tofu sautés. "Normally you never shut up during breaks. Or between them, for that matter."

"I'm not quiet. _You're_ quiet." He replied before engulfing half his plate.

Judy smiled, casting him a curious look.

"I really enjoyed last night." She said suddenly, toying with her meal. "It did me good. You… (she sighted) You were right, I was working Saturday."

Nick stopped chewing, looking at her apologetic eyes.

"I know, it's pathetic. I have a problem." She added.

"You want to right a terrible wrong. Of course it's hard to stop. I get it."

"But you are able to. You can still think of yourself."

"I'm a narcissist." The fox replied, shrugging.

Judy chuckled.

"You know that's not what I meant. Anyways. What I wanted to say is… I wouldn't mind doing this more often." She concluded, talking to her plate.

Something warm stirred inside Nick stomach, but it wasn't the tofu.

When they came back to their desk after lunch, Judy sprinted to the filing cabinet.

"Oh good, lab results are in!" She exclaimed enthusiastically.

She flickered through the pages under Nick's watchful gaze. Her ears slowly dropped as she read the report.

"Well, that's not much to go on." Her voice still showed confidence, as if simply enjoying the challenge. "They didn't find any trace of the killer on Yvette, no hair, or broken claw or nail, or body fluid that didn't belong to her, so no chance of getting the culprit's DNA. Buuuut she did have some dirt on her. As I said, not much."

She showed the picture joined in the file to Nick. It was a sample of reddish dirt in a small glass jar. The consultant geologist had added notes on the sample, explaining that such dust usually originates from limestone.

"Fascinating." Nick commented. "When exactly does one reach the point where they actually think they want to be a geologist?"

"I have to admit it takes superpowers to find rocks interesting."

"Still, maybe we should try to find if there is this limestone thing somewhere specific in Zootopia."

"Yes. Good idea, partner." Judy winked at him.

At the end of the day, they had learned one thing: limestone was no common thing. It didn't seem to have been used in constructions for centuries. Some more rural districts, similar to bunny burrow, had fields made of red soil derived from limestone naturally found in the nearby wild areas, but they couldn't see why Yvette would have been there. It was to far for her to have traveled there and come back on the hours she was out that fatal day. So they exited the precinct, rather disappointed but happy to get to think of other things. Nick knew Judy would walk away to the subway station; he had a split-second to try to keep her from leaving.

"Hey Carrots."

She turned to face him at his words. Her striking eyes startled him.

"I – Why don't you come at my place? You can't have anything interesting to do in that tiny room you call an apartment. You could make yourself comfortable, stretch your legs a bit for a change." He laughed.

"Oh – it's just – I don't have any clean cloths anymore, I should really go home and do some laundry…"

"We have a washing machine in the building."

"… and do some groceries."

"I have food."

She looked at him with a surprisingly serious expression. Nick almost gulped.

"Ok. I'd love to."

She started walking towards the parking, where Nick's car was. Relieved that he would get to enjoy her presence for a few more hours, Nick followed her grinning. By habit, he let her drive. He really didn't enjoyed driving that much, but he knew she loved it. Stuck in the traffic, he entertained her with his usual teasing and rhetorical questions. He quite enjoyed pondering on philosophical themes when killing time, but it was even more fun with Judy because she was too down-to-earth and didn't understand the goal of such reflections (precisely because there wasn't any). It really satisfied him to see her so annoyed. They were still at it when he opened his apartment door for her.

"Just _because_ , Nick! Why would it be different, a brain is a brain!"

"But how can you know that the way I experience consciousness is exactly like you do? Maybe I'm just a walking talking robot on autopilot!"

"That would explain so much." Judy mumbled through her teeth. "You're overthinking things Nick. Why does it matter anyways?"

"It doesn't at all." He answered, smiling.

She shook her head, clearly exasperated. Damn he loved teasing her. They quickly assembled a snack from everything they could find in Nick's cabinets – mostly crackers, humus spread and vegetables – and dropped on the couch, facing each other.

"So, how do _you_ know I am not a robot?" Judy asked, dipping a carrot into the humus spread.

"Well… have you ever injured a mammal or, through inaction, allowed a mammal to come to harm?"

"No?" She answered, uncertain.

"Do you obey any orders given, except in cases where a mammal would come to harm?"

"Well, generally, yes."

"Have you ever harmed yourself, except to protect a mammal from harm?"

"Not that I can think of."

"Oh dear." Nick said dramatically. "How could I have been so dupe? Get out of my home, robot!"

He brandished a celery branch in front of her like a sword. She laughed and fended off the vegetable with her carrot.

"On guard!" She warned him with a fierce look but a wide smile.

"And how do you think you will hold up against my weapon of massive destruction?"

Dread flashed on Judy's face a split second before he spread humus on her face. She gasped theatrically.

"How dare you!?" Then she added more seriously "We shouldn't be playing with food."

"You're right, we don't want to see it go to waste. Let me get that for you."

He leaned over and licked the spread on her cheek. Her soft scent filled his nose, and his brain suddenly realised how close they were and decided to freeze. She turned her head to face him. Big, round lavender eyes stared at him for a few seconds. Her eyelids slowly closed. Her lips were so close to his, he couldn't even see them anymore. Best to close his eyes too, his slow brain decided.

As soon as their lips touched, Nick felt an electric wave jolt from his heart to his lower abdomen. He pressed his muzzle as close as he could against hers, eyes tightly shut. He gently laid his hand on the couch's cushion, next to her hip, to better lean towards her. The other hand shoved away the celery branch, and came to rest on her soft, warm, exquisite face. With one last brush of his lips against hers, he broke the kiss.

When he opened his eyes again, he found beautiful purple irises staring into his. He gave her one of his sly smiles, absolutely clueless of how attractive those were to the young female. She smiled back, even chuckling a little. Swiftly, she spread hummus on his nose with the tip of the carrot she was still holding. Eyes still fixed on her cute rabbit face, he licked his nose with a teasing look. She bit on her carrot, where she lingered just a second too long, gazing at him with a naughty smile.

 _Bzzzz! Bzzzz!_

Judy cast a look at the tea table, where the fox's cell was buzzing.

"I'll just close that." Nick extended a hand towards the table.

But Judy had snatched the device and was handing it to him.

"You should answer it Nick," she said, "it's Bandit."

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And they kiiiiised :)))


	8. Ch 8 - The Drug Partner

I almost forgot to thank everybody for your favs and reviews and support and everything! It's really appreciated!

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Chapter 8 – The drug partner

Nick had walked off to his room to take the call. It took a few seconds for Judy to stop staring at the empty seat in front of her and bring her attention back at her food. Had _that_ really just happened? It seemed so unreal. And yet, so natural. To her, it felt as if this wasn't the first time it had happened. As if they had already kissed a hundred times before. She was absolutely certain that things were just meant to be that way. And with absolutely no anxiety or shame, she ate her carrot smiling.

"He's coming here." Nick said, coming back from his room.

"Really?" Judy felt relieved for him. "Do you want me to leave?"

"No." He answered quickly. Then he added, joining her on the couch "It's about the case."

Judy gave him a surprised look.

"He didn't explain. Said he wanted to talk face to face." Nick said, helping himself to some more vegetables with an impassive expression.

She carefully observed him for a moment. She knew that his apparently unaffected behaviour was sometimes hiding feelings of insecurity.

"Are you nervous?" She asked him.

He pondered before answering.

"No." He said softly, casting her his usual sly smile. "But thanks for worrying, Carrots."

He pressed her little nose with a broccoli piece, winking. They finished their meal quickly, in anticipation of Bandit's arrival. Judy went to load the machine washer and came back. She was honestly very curious about what the racoon had to say that could possibly help them with the case. A few minutes later, Nick's friend opened the door, letting himself in the apartment. He let out a deep sight, joining them on the living room's armchair.

"He Judy." Bandit nodded towards her. "Nick, I'm sorry for the way I reacted the other day."

The fox didn't utter a word, but his expression was attentive and understanding.

"You know that I ended that… aspect of my life a long time ago." Bandit continued. "And so does my family. It's been real hard for me to build what we now have, and I can't loose it. I'm sure you understand that, Nick."

The racoon gave his friend a meaningful look.

"I can't have them know that I still have some… friends in the trade. Helene thinks I severed all ties."

"You knew Yvette?" Judy asked, wide eyed.

Bandit nodded.

"No one can know about this." The racoon's eyes were flickering from one partner to the other. "I did not come to see you. This is off the record."

"Of course, Ringtail."

Nick's first words to his friend were imprinted with respect. The racoon breathed in deeply before diving into the subject.

"Yvette is – was an old friend. We would still see each other, from time to time. You see, we met in high school. We never… worked together, even if we both chose a less recommendable line of work. But sometimes we would help each other out."

His voice was stable, but he looked shaken all the same.

"After I left the criminal world, we kept in touch. Most of the time, just to give each other news. She liked to hear about my two baby girls… but sometimes she needed my help to get out of some tricky situation or another. She still sold drugs, you see."

"Did you see her recently, before she was killed?" Judy asked him softly.

"I did. I think it was only a few days before… I had come to her place. We never saw each other in public, and obviously we could not go to my place… She looked so alive, I still can't believe what – that she – well."

"You didn't notice anything unusual in her behaviour?" Judy asked him.

"No. She was… same old Vettie. But she had gotten herself pretty badly mixed up with some drug cartel. She wouldn't tell me much about it; she usually wasn't very worried about those things. Maybe she should have been. I should have forced her to tell me…"

"Don't beat yourself up." Nick told the racoon. "There was nothing anyone could have done about it."

"I suppose so… When I left, I got in my car and I saw someone walking up to her door. I stayed to watch, in case she was in any trouble. They seemed to argue pretty badly. But then it ended, and the mammal just went away."

"Can you describe this mammal to us?" Judy inquired.

"I think it was a lioness. It was a pretty big feline. I assumed it had something to do with the drug cartel she was in trouble with. The felines have a catnip empire in Jungle Ground." The racoon informed them.

"Thank you for your help, Bandit." Judy sincerely replied. "This is truly useful."

"Don't worry, we are going to catch whoever did this." Nick reassured him. "Did you want something to drink? A beer maybe?"

"That's nice of you two, but I have to go. The girls don't know that I'm here; they're going to worry. I hope things are good between us, Nick."

"Don't worry, pal." The fox winked at him.

And, as quickly as he had entered the apartment, the racoon was gone. Judy swiftly went to get her little black notebook from her backpack and started scribbling madly.

"How are we going to find this drug cartel member with a description as vague as 'lioness'?" Nick wondered out loud as Judy was writing.

"Well, we have an interesting amount of catnip that sits useless in the evidence locker." She answered.

"Oh, you sly rabbit." Nick smiled.

Judy gave him a teasing smile before ending her transcription of the interview and putting the notebook back into her rucksack. Extenuated, she stretched herself, holding back a yawn.

"We should turn in." She said. "It's another big day tomorrow."

"Agreed."

She quickly went to retrieve her clean cloths and spread them to dry in Nick's living room. She joined the fox in the small bathroom to brush her teeth, wondering about what would happen next. The couch was comfortable enough for a small mammal like herself, but she felt like trying something new that night. She spitted the toothpaste in her mouth and wiped her muzzle clean, coming to a decision. She turned to the fox, who had just ended his night time grooming, determined to resume where they had left off. But he clearly had the same idea, only a few seconds quicker than her. As his face locked on hers, she felt his two strong hands gently grabbing her hips and pulling her closer. Everything inside of her tickled wildly. She jumped to get to his level, arms around his neck and legs embracing his hips. He broke the kiss, burying his face against her neck. She felt his arms tightening around her waist and back, his fingers pressing in her fur. She could feel all the affection he felt for her. She returned the hug, hiding her smile in his red fur.

"Ok, you're chocking me." Nick's voice whispered in her ear.

She let go and dropped to the floor, chuckling. Nick was looking at her, wearing his handsome smile. She grabbed his tie, rolling it between her fingers. No words needed to be exchanged. Pulling slightly at the tie, she made him follow her into his own bedroom.

Judy's eyes couldn't see much in the dark room, but she could still distinguish the shapes near her. With one last searching look into Nick's shining eyes, she let go of the tie. She went to sit on the bed and undressed herself, dropping her shirt and leggings on the floor. She felt absolutely carefree, and she welcomed the excitement bubbling in her stomach. She was unable to assess Nick's reaction in the darkness, as she lay on the mattress in her underwear, but she just knew he felt the same as she did. She heard his faint steps, his cloths softly falling to the floor, his fur sliding on the sheets as his shape slowly reappeared in her short range of vision. She felt the weight of his body in the mattress, pulling her nearer like gravity. She slowly fell closer, until her face was buried in his chest. He folded his arms around her.

"Good night, Carrots." His soft voice echoed in the darkness.

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I know this is a really short chapter, but it's the best I've managed to do with all that's been going on here. Plus, I'd like to have your input on the romance in the story. Is it a good pace? Too slow? Too fast? Don't worry, I have some juicy content coming for you ;)


	9. Ch 9 - The Ex-Boyfriend

He sorry for the lateness! I was having to much fun with this chapter so it was starting to get really to long for the stupidly short time I have to write/edit/re-read myself... So I decided to split it in half. I know it ends kind of abruptly, but the next chapter will continue right were we left off. It's still my longest chapter yet, so I hope it quenches your thirst for a moment. I really appreciate all the favs and follows that you gave me, thanks for everything :)

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Chapter 9 – The ex-boyfriend

Judy and Nick spent the next three days at work, establishing their plan for the search of Yvette's probable drug partner. Judy had joined Nick at his apartment each evening after work, to the fox's immense pleasure. Nick was a generally solitary being, enjoying the quietness of his alone time, but the bunny's presence didn't feel like an intrusion. If anything, it felt like it had been missing until then. Still, his happiness was slowly starting to be eclipsed by uneasiness. He had lived in Zootopia much longer then Judy, and knew even better than her how prejudices and hatred still clearly existed in the city. And he was getting worried that the public opinion would hurt his partner again. Quite frankly, he was even worried for himself; he didn't know if he could endure much more judgement in his life. He had thought at least a hundred times about the look on that antelope's face when Judy had called him "sweetheart" at the pools. It had lasted a split second, but it was there. Confusion. Disbelief. Disgust? He stupidly dreaded going back that night, as if there was any chance of seeing that particular employee again. But there was no point in fearing the future, and for now, he was perfectly content in the secrecy of his apartment.

Judy was clearing the plates in which they had eaten their super. He joined her and helped her clean the kitchen a bit. He was tired after their hard working day, but he had to stay awake until midnight for the Pool Party. When he was younger, about Judy's age, this would have been completely natural to him. He even would have been excited to go, and probably would have stayed up all night. But now he had to admit that he enjoyed sleeping at least a full seven hours. Especially now that he wasn't alone in his bed. He looked at the time on the oven. It was only 8 o'clock. Four hours to go. He turned to Judy.

"Want to play a game?" He asked her.

"If it consists of answering stupid existential questions, no thank you." She replied smiling.

"Damn it. Alright then, want to play another game?"

"I'm listening."

Nick got two beers out of the fridge.

"I'll say something I think you have done in your life. If you have done it, you take a sip of beer, and I can try again. If not, it's your turn to ask the question." He explained.

"Should we really be drinking? We have to work tonight."

"We're going to a _party_. We'll just fit in better. Anyways, it's just one beer and then we have three hours to sober up, I think we'll be fine."

Judy looked uncertainly at the beer he was offering her but then accepted it. Nick gave her a smile.

"Attagirl." They both sat at the kitchen's counter. "You grew up on a farm, so… I think you secretly stole and drank moonshine to forget about how boring your life was."

"Almost, but no. It was carrot wine." She winked at him.

"Oh, I knew I should have gone with the carrots."

"Alright, my turn! Hmmm." She reflected. "You shamelessly stole food from stands in markets, without ever being caught."

Nick drank one sip, eying her with surprise.

"Guilty as charged. You got lucky."

"It's not luck, it's cleverness." She teased. "My turn again. You were hold up in a cell at least for one night in your life."

He looked at her smiling.

"Never got caught." He proudly said. "Ok. You keep a mountain of stuffed animals on your bed at your parents home."

"Well, that was an easy one." Judy conceded, drinking from her beer.

"You… made out with the handsomest rabbit of your school iiiin… the janitor's closet."

She looked stunned for a second, and then she rolled her eyes, taking a sip.

"How could you possibly guess that?" She groaned.

"Well, if _I_ was the handsomest rabbit of your school, that is certainly what I would have done." He teasingly waved his brows at her. "My turn again. You once ran away because you couldn't breath anymore through all your brothers and sisters."

"No. I did run away once, but it was after an argument with my mom. And I _called_ once I was at my friend's house to let her know where I was." Judy laughed. "That's how rebellious I was."

Nick chuckled with her.

"Should have known."

"My turn!" She exclaimed excitedly. "You left home before you were… sixteen."

Nick quietly drank his sip, waiting for the next question. He had wanted to play that game because he was curious about Judy's childhood, but now he realised that he had put himself in the line of fire. Not that he cared much about Judy learning about his past, he hadn't done anything particularly shameful or pitiful he wished to hide from her, but he usually didn't talk about those things.

"In your adolescence, you brought home a string of vixens you didn't even like to compensate for your insecurities."

"What insecurities?" He asked, annoyed.

"Do you drink or not?"

He grumpily took a sip.

"It's better for you to just admit it." She teased. "You… once drove intoxicated."

"Oh come on, Fluff, I'm better than that. But I think I will return the question. I think _you_ did that." Nick eyed her pointedly.

Judy sighted.

"It doesn't count if it's a tractor on a farm."

"Yes it does." Nick insisted.

"Fine."

She took a sip.

"Hehe." The fox continued. "I also think that you tried to smoke weed once, but didn't like it."

"That's not fair, who hasn't?" She complained, but drank anyways.

"I'm still the one asking the questions." Nick teased. "You… have rejected someone romantically."

"I think you give me a lot more credit than I deserve. I wasn't fencing off boys in high school. Quite the opposite actually, I didn't even have a date at the Graduation ball."

"Were all the boys at your school blind?" Nick blinked. "What about that rabbit in the janitor's closet?"

"Yeah, he found someone prettier afterwards." Judy laughed. "He was pretty much all looks and no brains anyways. Aren't we all at that age?"

"You're probably right."

"So… I think _you_ … got so wasted that you threw up in your sleep."

"Not my most glorious hour." Nick replied, addressing Judy a 'cheers' before emptying his beer.

The fox got two more beers from the fridge and sat back.

"Still your turn, Carrots." He smiled.

At 11 pm, they were still playing the game. A couple of empty bottles were standing on the kitchen counter. Nick was starting to feel pretty light headed.

"I think you once yelled at a pure stranger for absolutely no reason." Judy stated.

"Oh boy."

Nick almost chucked his entire beer.

"Now, that reaction needs an explanation!" The bunny inquired, smiling.

"I'm not proud of this moment." He said, even though a smirk was crawling on his face. "I will try to tell you without laughing to much."

"Ok, now I'm really curious."

"I had some reparation done on one of my teeth, after a small incident. And I was pretty heavily drugged, so I came home taking the subway." He chuckled. "This is so stupid. This little mouse was standing next to me, and I just started screaming at him. I was warning him to stay back, that I knew he was conspiring to – ha ha! oh boy – to help the bananas take over!"

"Ho no, you did not!" Judy burst out laughing.

"I swear!" Nick replied, laughing as well. "Those damn anaesthetics were so strong, I was hallucinating! I nearly got kicked out of the train. They all thought I was some schizophrenic homeless guy. Can't blame them."

Judy was holding her ribs, unable to stop laughing. Wiping his eyes, Nick looked at his cellphone.

"Oh, I think we'd better get going." He told his partner.

"What? Oh no! I can't drive like this." Judy started panicking.

"Don't worry, its still early, we can go by public transport."

"I don't feel like I can conduct an interview right now." She stated matter-of-factly.

"Relax, Carrots, we've got almost one hour to sober up." He winked at her. "Here."

She accepted the bottle of water he was offering her, and grabbed her loyal backpack. Following her outside the apartment, Nick locked the door, satisfied by the absence of neighbours in the corridor. People were bound to notice the constant presence of Judy in there, but the fox highly valued his intimacy, and would appreciate every minute of it until they were uncovered. He half hoped that they could just stay unnoticed forever, even though he didn't wish to live in secrecy either.

In a few minutes, they were at the subway station, and into the train. As the stations followed one another and they approached the Pools in Rainforest District, the train became more and more crowded. Eventually, Judy was so squeezed between Nick and strangers that she didn't even need to hold on to anything to keep her balance. Her proximity still made the fox's inside tickle wildly. He couldn't resist passing one arm around her shoulders and hugging her closer. Hidden in the sea of animals, they were safe. In the five last stations or so, mammals had to wait on the platform for the next train, as theirs was completely full.

When they pulled in the Pool's station, a wave of enthusiastic partyers surged from the train's doors, carrying out the two officers. They were greeted by the throbbing sound of the distant base. Flashing lights of bright colors were entering the underground station through the stairs. Judy and Nick followed the crowd towards the commotion. Music blasted ear-splittingly from the countless speakers spread around the St-Teton Plaza. Nick noticed that Judy's ears had instantly flatted on her back as they had emerged into the venue. He grabbed her shoulder to attract her attention. The look in her eyes told him she was actually in pain.

"Thought this might happen." He yelled over the music. "I brought you these, just in case."

Fumbling in his pockets, he pulled out the two earplugs Judy usually used at the precinct when she was practicing her shooting. Her face expressed deep relief at the sight of the precious object. Nick gently pressed the plugs into her ears.

"There, better?" He smiled.

She smiled back and hugged him quickly.

"Thanks, slick Nick!" She yelled appreciatively.

The fox fondly patted her little head, her ears back to their normal position, but then anxiously looked around him as they resumed their walk. No one seemed to have cared for that somewhat normal affection display in the tight crowd surrounding them. Relaxing, he grabbed her hand and led the way through the web of mammals, searching for the DJ's lodge. He spotted what looked like the trailers containing the technical material and lodges for the artists – one was sprayed with the flashy "D-Jay-Z" logo – but his course was impeded by a familiar large figure.

"NICKY! PRECIOUS FLOWER! WHAT A COINCIDENCE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Clawhauser's face couldn't express more happiness. "ARE YOU D-JAY-Z FANS TOO?"

Judy had started raising one hand and opening her mouth to greet him, but the cheetah interrupted her with a theatrical gasp.

"AAAAAAAWWWW!" He exclaimed, his eyes widening as they spotted their holding hands. "IS THIS A DATE? YOU FINALLY DECIDED TO MOVE YOUR STUPID BUTT, YOU DUMB FOX! I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU!"

Nick promptly released Judy's hand.

"We were just trying not to loose each other, you crazy cat!"

"IF THIS IS NOT A DATE, WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING AT A D-JAY-Z CONCERT, UH?" Clawhauser asked, as if delivering a very convincing and unassailable argument.

"We're here for our case." Nick replied, sighting.

"YOU'RE WHAT?"

"THE CASE." Judy yelled.

"OH!"

The cheetah appeared completely clueless. "WHY?"

"No time to explain! See you!" Judy replied before swiftly disappearing into the crowd, pulling Nick behind her.

 _Well, so much for privacy_. Nick sadly thought about Clawhauser already tweeting, SnoutChating and texting the whole crew about Judy and him. The fox couldn't have made it more public if he had passionately declared his love in a flash mob involving a whole children's orphanage before a Gazelle concert. Trying not to vomit at that mental image, he followed his partner to the lodges, his insides twitching uncomfortably. He watched as Judy boldly knocked on the trailer's door, loyal to her fearless investigative tactics. A lion in a security guard uniform opened the door.

"ZPD, we're here on a murder investigation, we would like to have a word with D-Jay-Z." The small bunny demanded, speaking loudly over the music and showing her badge.

The lion blinked in astonishment, but quickly replied equally loudly. "Mr. D-Jay-Z is about to go on stage. He can not be disturbed during his preparations."

"You did hear the part about this being a murder investigation, right?" Nick pressed on.

"Of course, but this will have to wait until after Mr. D-Jay-Z's performance." The lion replied, unimpressed.

"I'm afraid we can't wait this long, and I wouldn't want to charge you with impeding a police investigation, so I'm asking you nicely one last time to lead us to D-Jay-Z." Judy stated, stoic.

The lion eyed them both before stepping back to let them in. Smirking, Nick followed his partner inside the trailer. Inside was a small living room mostly made of the boxes that contained all the audio material for the show. A strong looking zebra sat on the beat-up couch that stood between the boxes, looking at its laptop. He raised his eyes as they approached – one of them was framed by a black patch of fur. The inside of the trailer was so narrow that he would probably have heard everything, if not from the blasting music outside. Judy showed her badge again.

"ZPD." She introduced them. "We'd like to have a word with you concerning the murder of Yvette Proudhorse."

The zebra eyed them, expressionless, for a few seconds.

"What?"

His tone implied that he had perfectly heard, but did not understand.

"Yvette Proudhorse, we understand that you two may have been involved?" Nick clarified.

"Yvette's dead." He simply stated, clearly incredulous.

"She was murdered last Thursday. She was found in her motel room." Judy explained as sympathetically as she could in such circumstances.

Nick would have been a bit rougher with him. Quite frankly, the guy looked like a jerk. He was still looking at them both, his gaze unfathomable. If anything, he looked slightly angry to Nick.

"A witness saw you at her door, a few weeks back. It seems that you two had a disagreement. Have you seen Yvette again, before she was murdered?" Judy asked him.

"No, we never saw each other after that." The DJ replied sharply.

"Would you mind clarifying for us the cause of your argument?" Nick inquired suspiciously.

The zebra got to his feet, revealing his imposing stature, and started pacing.

"I know this is gonna sound harsh. But Vettie, she was a lying bitch."

Judy blinked. _Jerk confirmed_.

"I knew she was stealing from me. I don't mind spoiling my girl with all the stupid jewellery she wants. But when she starts stealing my money to buy fucking drugs and get high and all that shit, it makes me angry. So we had a really bad argument about it, and we split up. A few days after, I though we'd make a mistake, so I went to her place. I wanted to give her a second chance. But she was a stubborn bitch. Didn't even answer the door for me."

He shot the two police officers an angry look. Nick could understand why Yvette had refused to open the door for him.

"Where were you last Thursday between noon and 2 pm?" The fox asked, hardly hiding the dislike from his face.

"I was at home, sleeping. I work at night, so I'm always sleeping during the day." He replied, eyeing Nick defiantly.

"Can anyone confirm this?" The cop went on, refraining from adding: "a hooker perhaps?"

"No. I was alone."

Nick raised his eyebrows. He looked at Judy; he didn't have much to add.

"Ok, thank you. While this investigation is going on, the police department of Zootopia requires that you stay in the country, and – "

"What?" The zebra protested. "But – "

" – remain joinable at all times."

"I have shows to give internationally." The DJ said, grinding his teeth.

"I am sorry to tell you that you are a suspect in a murder investigation. You will do as you are told." Judy stated placidly.

Nick was really impressed by his small partner's sangfroid. He quickly realised that is features were reflecting his total awe, and forced himself to regain a normal face.

"This is ridiculous. I didn't hurt Vettie. My lawyers will hear about this."

"Very well. Until then, please stay put. Good night." She swerved around towards the door.

Nick offered the fulminating zebra an ironic salutation and followed his partner out of the trailer. They walked across the crowd until they reached a stretch of beach far enough for the music to fade away. Far behind them, the pools, climbing towards the sky, were illuminated with the bright colors of the lights set in the forest around them. Sitting on the sand, Judy reached for her notebook in her backpack.

"What did you think of him?" She asked Nick, while scribbling notes under the moonlight.

"Prick." He replied, sitting next to her. "And no alibi."

"Yeah." She replied, uncertain. "I don't know."

"He didn't seem remotely sad that his ex-girlfriend was dead. Barely surprised that she was murdered."

"Mammals react differently when they're shocked."

"He didn't look shocked to me."

"What about his motive? Why would he have killed her?"

"That's easy. Crime of passion. The guy looks aggressive enough for it. Not to mention strong enough. Plus, he though she was stealing from him. Maybe that's why her hoofs were cut off."

Judy pondered for a moment, her pen lying on her lips.

"Could be. But we don't have any proof of this. We'll have to find something. And I don't know why, but he didn't really strike me as a killer. A jerk, yes, but not a murderer."

"Well, I don't trust him." Nick declared.

He looked at the moon reflecting widely on the sea. They could still hear the distant sound of the base. The appreciative cries of the crowd.

"Alright. Let's go home." The fox said, standing up and dusting the sand off his pants.

"You don't want to stay a bit for the show? We may be able to join Clawhauser." She asked him, putting her packsack back on.

"No, I don't want your ears to fall off, Carrots." He smiled, caressing one of her long ears. "Besides, I'd rather go to bed with you."

"Aww." Judy smirked. "Such a romantic. An old, tired romantic."

"Ok, you've got to stop bringing my age up."

He put his arm around hers and directed her towards the subway.

"Oh Nick, you know I'm just teasing you."

"I know." He laid a swift kiss on her head.


	10. Ch 10 - The Return Home

Chapter 10 – The Return Home

The platform of the station going towards City Center was almost empty, while the other direction continued unloading full wagons in St-Teton plaza. Letting go of Judy's arm, Nick mimicked holding the train's door for her, and they both took seats in the deserted wagon.

The way home seemed way to long to Nick; he didn't feel like he could refrain from demonstrating his affection for his partner much longer. When he finally opened his apartment's door, he grabbed his bunny friend and lifted her to his level. He passionately put his muzzle on hers, caressing her lips and feeling her soft tongue with his. Nick's whole body started firing up. But Judy pushed a finger on his lips, stopping him.

"Nick, are you ashamed of us?" She asked him bluntly, her eyes anxiously searching his.

"What?" He whispered, releasing her. "Why would you say that?"

She simply kept looking into his eyes, raising an eyebrow.

"No. No, of course not." He replied. "I just… I value my privacy, that's all. Our lives are public enough as police officers, and I don't want you to get hurt."

Both her eyebrows rose with surprise.

"There are some mammals that don't… they don't understand what we have. They think that an intimate relationship between two mammals of different species, especially between a predator and a prey, is unnatural, or unhealthy. And I'm tired of being judged all the time. You are my best friend. Maybe my only true friend. And I'm scared. Scared that I could lose you. Not only because of the hatred we could receive for this, but for all sorts of reasons. Scared to find out that this doesn't work out after all – I mean, we are different species, there's no denying it. And as you keep mentioning, I _am_ almost ten years older than you. What if I don't enjoy the things you do? What if you later meet the sweetest, handsomest rabbit there is, and realise you missed your opportunity of having a respected life and maybe a family of your own? What is your family going to think of us? What if they cut you off because of me? What if in the end, we can't bear any more of it… I just don't want other mammals to witness any… pain, if it comes to that. On anyone's part."

He had said all of this very fast, unloading all the ideas that had been swerving in his head the last few days. Judy's expression had not changed one bit.

"Are you done?" She asked.

Nick hesitated then nodded defensively.

"Good." She jumped in his arms, sticking her lips against his.

Nick's fears disappeared instantly as he hold her against him. _Fuck it_. It was worth any of these terrible scenarios. It was worth anything. And he would make sure that she would always feel the same way.

Judy's head came resting on his shoulder. "I love you, you stupid, anxious fox."

He replied by hugging her as tightly as he could. As they kissed each other again, Nick turned to the kitchen's island and sat the bunny on the countertop. Without breaking the contact between their lips, his hands explored her curvaceous body – her back, her waist, her hips. Both his hands, feeling so disproportionately big on her, stayed on her thighs, softly caressing her smooth muscles, as he enjoyed the feeling of her tongue in his mouth. All his insides tickled widely at the touch of her flesh. His member was fully inflated, pressing against his pants, and he felt completely at ease to let it show. Her small but strong hands were drawing the edges of his neck, shoulders and back. She slipped her palms under his belt, caressing his lower belly and sending electric chocks up his abdomen.

He pushed her against him, passing an arm under her strong behind, and brought her towards his room. In his haste, he seemed to have become completely blind in the darkness. He made them both bump into the wall and doorstep, and tripped on the cluttered floor, landing heavily on the bed with her. She swiftly loosened his tie and passed it over his head, caressing his ears. Her hands then fumbled on his shirt and he quickly helped her unbutton it, still kissing her. He threw the shirt on the floor with all the ceremonialism an old rag would have obtained. He then slipped his hands under her t-shirt, feeling her soft fur running between his fingers, and took it off. He finally let go of her lips, and opened his eyes, peaking at her beauty. She was lying on the sheets, her elegant silhouette highlighted by her black sports bra and leggings. Her long ears ran on her shoulders like a waterfall. Every inch of his body needed her madly at that moment. But before he could do anymore, she had pushed him on his back and climbed on top of him.

Judy agilely leaned over her fox friend, her mouth landing on his neck. She heard him moan softly with contentment, as her kisses moved down to his chest, her nose buried in his long, sweet scented fur. Her legs were spread apart over Nick's hips; her loins were tickling uncontrollably, and she could feel her wet panties sticking on her sensitive groin. Her breath was becoming short and loud, as was Nick's. Her behind came to rest on the fox's pelvis. She felt the hard lump in his pants perfectly fitting between her legs. The feeling was exhilarating. She pressed harder against him, sighting into his ear. His body twitched, reacting to this manifestation of her satisfaction, and she felt his big hands coming to rest on her hindquarters. Firmly holding her hips, he led her in a rocking motion over him, while he kissed her neck. The lump in his pants repeatedly rubbed her wet groin. She could hardly contain herself. His hands slipped between her leggings and her skin. She hastily helped him get rid of the black piece of cloth, throwing it to the floor. She started unzipping his pants, but before she could pull them off, she found herself caught in Nick's powerful embrace. He was squeezing her so strongly she could hardly breath for a few seconds.

"I love you." He whispered in her ear.

"Aaaw, Nick." She looked into his shining eyes. "OK, get those pants off now, get them off."

He laughed in a hushed voice, obeying her orders. Giving her his slyest smile, he then removed her bra, and firmly held her breasts. His hard member was still pressing between her legs, the two layers of underwear being the only barrier between them. Kissing her, his adventurous fingers entered inside her panties and slipped softly between the lips of her burning genitalia. Judy let out a short moan. His finger pressed back down and easily slipped inside her. She felt her inside spasm uncontrollably at his touch. She exhaled shakily in his ear. Her hands searched for his body in response. Her fingers followed the shape of the muscles under Nick's thick fur, moving down to the last piece of cloth on him. Pulling the boxers down, she exposed him completely, and caressed the soft skin stretched on his inflated member. The fox groaned appreciatively, while removing her panties. The sound of his smooth voice, filled with excitement, was music to her ears. Hovering over him, legs spread across his hips, she knew that his member was pointing straight at her wet genitalia. She slowly dropped down to him, kissing his neck, until she felt the tip of his penis press at the entrance of her insides. Every inch of her body tickled with excitement.

She slightly moved down again, allowing him to penetrate inside her slowly, until the top of his member had entered. Nick let out a sharp gasp. She exhaled, as he stretched her insides widely. Judy had never felt so aroused, yet she feared the moment when she would discover if they were physically compatible. Nick's hands softly run over her, rubbing her lower back.

"Shhh" He whispered, as if reading her mind. "Don't worry."

Realising that she was really tensed, Judy relaxed. She opened her legs wider, fully welcoming him inside her, filling her with pleasure. He easily slipped all the way inside her, and her pelvis came to rest on his. The both of them sighted with satisfaction. Judy relished the feeling of his member completely stretching her insides and the sound of Nick's fast breath under her. She started rocking on him, the fur on his lower belly tickling the outside of her privates, as his penis pressed all around the inside. The sensations started to mingle, making her moan repeatedly. Her legs could not stretch any wider, her pelvis could not press any closer to his. She rocked faster. Nick heaved a long, trembling sigh and started moaning uncontrollably, his hands locked on her moving rump, caressing her buttocks. Moans escaped every short and fast breath of her too.

"Oh Nick, yes." She sighted rhythmically. "Yes. Oh, yes."

The fox's whole body started to shake, and he groaned deeply. As she felt him finishing inside her, the sensations exploded in her loins, and her moaning transformed into exclamations of pleasures.

Out of breath, she let herself fall on his torso, softly chuckling. After a few minutes, he put his arms around her, hugging her tightly, and kissed the top of her head. She smiled, hidden in his soft fur.


	11. Ch 11 - The Drug Addict

Chapter 11 – The Drug Addict

When Judy arrived at the station the next morning, she wondered if her coworkers would perceive any change in her relationship with her partner. She honestly felt that there had not been the slightest change; their bond had always been special. She looked at the fox's face. It was the same as ever: smirking, complacent, charismatic. No reason for anyone to suspect anything.

They went to the basement, where the evidence room was located. Timmy Thomson, a friendly and plump officer, was in charge of the room. The middle-aged gazelle was a close friend of Clawhauser who shared his love of doughnuts and pop music. It was easy enough for Judy, while praising the remarkable work that Timmy was doing at the ZPD, to take possession of Ivette's catnip. Judy and Nick then moved along the basement's corridor towards the costume room. The police kept various costumes in there for infiltration purposes. Judy had learned the existence of this room through the grapevines, and had been curious to see it for a long time.

Nick whistled behind her as she opened the door.

"Well, look at _that_!" He exclaimed, waving at the array of clothing waiting for them. "They really have got more street-smarts than I used to give them credit for!"

It was funny how Nick sometimes still referred to the cops as "they", as if he wasn't one of them. He started rummaging in a near rack crammed with pieces of clothing. He took out a bright Hawaiian shirt.

"Now this is classy!" He put the shirt in front of his chest, waving his eyebrows at his partner.

"If those are shady drug dealer clothes, we could have found everything we needed in your apartment." Judy replied, rolling her eyes.

"Har Har. You don't give enough credit to the con artists. They usually look quite ordinary, they don't want to attract to much attention."

"Alright. How about this then?" She turned to him, a large synthetic fur hat on her head.

"Very elegant." Nick snickered. "But you're missing a few accessories, hold on."

He put a vivid red handbag almost as big as she was on her shoulder and a long wooden cigarette holder in her hand.

"Now that's perfect. Wait, I'll show you."

Judy tried not to laugh while he took a picture with his cellphone.

"Show me show me show me." She jumped over his shoulder to look at the screen and burst out laughing.

Nick laughed with her. Every time their eyes wandered to the screen, they laughed even harder, gasping for breath.

"Ok, focus." Judy called them to order. "We want to find mammals who would normally have bought drugs from Ivette. How do we need to look to attract such a crowd, Officer Professional Hustler?"

"Well, Mrs. Serious Cop, I would try to look like Ivette. Let me find something for you." He added more seriously before disappearing into the endless cloths around them.

He came back handing her a pile of different jeans and tops.

"Those are the smallest ones I could find. I don't think a lot of rabbits went undercover in here. Try to find one that fits on you. It would be suspicious if you looked like a tent."

Judy obeyed while Nick dived once more into the mess of textiles in search of his own costume. She found a mirror hanging on one of the walls and tried a few pieces on. The jeans were all quite large on her. She had generous hips, which kept the waist of the pants from falling to the floor, but she had to roll up the legs.

"Those are supposed to cut your blood flow. They're to big for you."

"Nick you startled me!"

"Sorry, couldn't help but peek. Have you tried the shorts? They're for big sized pups, they might fit you."

"Hum, no." She answered slowly. "There weren't any other pants?"

"Why?" Nick asked, visibly surprised.

She looked at him for a few seconds before sighting.

"I don't like shorts."

"Why?" He asked again, his gaze softening. "Don't tell me you've got confidence issues Carrots or I'll hit you on the head with those boots I found for you."

"No, it's nothing like that. It's just… I don't know. It makes me feel vulnerable. I don't like showing my legs. Plus now I've got this big scar from that day at the museum, it makes me look weak. It sends a message… This rabbit can be attacked."

"Pff! Rubbish prey thinking. It makes you look strong. This rabbit can fend for herself. Now put on those shorts and stop whining."

He started undressing to try different outfits. Judy reluctantly changed from her large pants into the shorts. She didn't mind Nick seeing her; she knew he would never judge her. But she would never have exhibited such a scar in Bunny Borrows. The comments to try to dissuade her from her dangerous work in the police would have been endless. She pouted at her reflection.

"I feel naked."

"They're perfect!" Nick smiled at her, half into changing shirts. "With that beautiful scar, you look like a real badass bunny from the rough side of town."

Both his arms stuck in the shirt he had taken off, he took a step closer and caressed her twitching nose with his. Against her will, she felt herself smiling.

"I could just eat you up." He teased.

He laid a kiss on Judy's forehead as she laughed.

"Now put on that crop top – yes it's supposed to be that short – and off we go!"

The two partners exited the station by the back door, making their way towards the cars. They hopped in an unmarked police car. Nick drove them to a neighbourhood where Bandit said that Ivette had worked. They dropped the car a few blocks away from it and walked the rest. They came to a stop on the corner of a back alley.

"Well, what now?" Judy asked the fox. "How do you propose to proceed?"

"Same as selling anything. Advertisement and salesmanship." Nick winked at her.

As he tried to subtly attract the attention of shady looking costumers, Nick reminded Judy of a certain weasel they had intercepted at the beginning of their careers. He was clearly up to no good. Some mammals quickly walked away, their eyes resolutely avoiding contact. But others would slow down, clearly hesitating. A large mountain lion silently nodded his interest to Nick. But he wasn't ready to exchange any information other than the price the Fox demanded. Despite Nick's chatty personality, not a single other word escaped the feline's mouth. Judy tried to keep her horror from showing as she witnessed Nick selling a pill to the mountain lion.

"What the hell are you doing?" She exclaimed when their customer was out of earshot. "You actually _sold him drug_!"

"What was I supposed to do? This is how being undercover works, Carrots. You do whatever you must not to be discovered, even if that means breaking the law. It would have been really weird if I had refused to sell him the stuff in the end."

"We should have arrested him."

"And how would we have found someone else willing to share information with us after that?"

Judy groaned and pondered for a moment.

"You're right. But I don't like it."

"That's why I'm the one actually doing it. That way you can keep sleeping at night." He winked at her.

She crossed her arms and pouted.

"Excellent, Fluff! Way to get in character; you really look scary. I wouldn't want to mess with you. You should have gone into acting!" He smiled at her.

"Very funny."

Judy observed reluctantly as Nick attracted new customers, selling pills here and there and letting them go when it became clear that they didn't have any information. Some would cast her worried looks. Good. They should be worried. She would remember them.

A young, nervous-looking cream-colored cat approached them.

"Hi! Come closer young man. What's your name?" Nick asked him, displaying his charismatic salesman personality.

The cat looked, his head shaking slightly, from Judy to Nick.

"Hum, my friends call me Ron." He answered, his voice cracking.

"What can we do for you today, Ron my friend?" Nick asked, wrapping his arm around Ron's shoulder.

Ron scratched his cheek and let out a short, high-pitched laughter.

"I hum – I heard you had some – some – some herb?" He replied, his body shaking harder.

He abruptly turned his head, his whole body becoming tensed and still. Judy and Nick looked at each other. The poor boy clearly wasn't well. The cat relaxed after a few seconds, turning back to the fox and shaking again.

"Well, I have just what you need my friend." Nick assured him. "I gather it's harder to find these days."

Ron laughed nervously.

"Y-y-yes. Haven't see – seen Ivette in a while now. This stuff's bee – been harder to come by la – lately." He agreed.

"I hear you, Ron." Nick's expression became melodramatically sad. "Poor Ivette. No one has seen her since that lioness argued with her."

"Nicole?" Ron muttered.

He looked at the floor, apparently pondering something, which looked hard in his state of mind. Judy and Nick kept silent, anxiously waiting for more information.

"No." The cat mumbled, more to himself. "She would never hurt her. It m – must be a misunderstanding."

He looked up at the fox and the rabbit.

"I – I know Nicole works for the Jungle's cartel, but Ivette would n – n – never have done anything to upset her. No?" He looked into Nick's eyes for reassurance.

"No, of course no. We will sort things out of course. You really are all right, Ron. How about a free pill for you, on the house?"

The cat was startled.

"R – Really?"

"Yeah. I mean, I'm sure a bright mammal like you can help us find Nicole so that things can go back to normal. That sure is worth a gift."

"Sure. She u – usually hangs out in their hideout, in Jungle Park."

"That's good, Ron, that's good." Nick encouraged him, but his face fell. "But a hideout is usually hidden. That's too bad."

"Oh it's easy to get there. Customers are not allowed in… But it's well known that there's a hidden path in Treetop's promenade."

"Of course, the hidden path. So that's where Nicole works, Cottontail!" He winked at Judy. "Thanks Ron. Here you go my friend."

The cream-colored cat took his pill and walked away, still shaking.

"Oh Nick, he doesn't look well. You really had to give him that?" Judy sadly asked.

"He was showing symptoms of withdrawal. It's just one pill, at least it's going to help prevent a severe crisis." Nick answered, his face also worried.

"He should see a doctor. Get help."

"Not everyone wants to be helped, Judy."

"It's not a reason not to try."

Nick smiled fondly at her.

"I know. Right now we have a murderer to catch. But we can offer him help later. I'm sure we can find him in the system, junkies like that often get picked up the streets by cops."

"I didn't know catnip could have such a hard impact on your health." Judy reflected as they started walking back to the car.

"Regular catnip can't. But this stuff has been tempered with. It's concentrated, and clearly cut with something."

A few minutes later, they were back in the car and heading for Jungle Park.


	12. Ch 12 - The Drug Cartel 1

Merry Christmas! Here is a short but very amusing chapter :) I had a lot of fun writing it. It is based on Guns N' Roses' classic "Welcome to the Jungle", which you can choose to listen to if you feel like it. I tried to write it as a musical movie scene, so that it fits the hole song. I hope you like it!

ultamantman and gonekrazy3000, I'm really happy you appreciated the story! Here's a little more for you ;)

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Chapter 12 – The Jungle Cartel (Part 1: Welcome to the Jungle)

Jungle Park was one of the twelve ecosystems of Zootopia. It was near the Rain Forest District, and the two were quite similar. Even though it was humid enough in Jungle Park, it rarely rained. It was also more colourful. Where Rain Forest District was all green and wet, Jungle Park was a rainbow of flowers and sun. Judy and Nick escalated Treetop's promenade in awe of the view. Soon they were walking high amongst the trees, on a solid stone footbridge, looking for the hidden pathway.

As Judy's ears scanned the sound of the jungle, she observed Nick subtly smelling the air, in search of a scent trail. His ears lifted and he smiled at Judy, pointing at a direction with a nod of the head. She smiled back and followed him a few strides up the promenade before disappearing between the branches of the trees bordering the catwalk.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Judy asked Nick as she followed his dark tail amongst the branches. "This is not exactly… a path."

"Yup!" He answered. "Smells like cats! Here."

They turned on a branch so large it actually felt flat as they walked on it. It was covered in leaves and moss, and lined with large bushes.

"Oh, this is more like it." Judy smiled at Nick.

They walked on the path for a few minutes, silent and alert. Without warning, the earth opened up under their feet and the sudden pull of gravity made them both scream. Judy seized the first thing her hand could find, but it was Nick's tail, which was also free falling. She heard a strong, high-pitched laughter.

Their plummeting course was abruptly deflected when they charged into a tangle web of vines to which they clung on for dear life. It sent them flying through the air with the broken plants. Judy felt her stomach turn as they reached the peak of their flight. And they were falling down again; only this time, even though she could hear him scream, she couldn't see Nick near her.

Strong clawed paws caught her mid-flight. A black panther had caught her on the tree branch where he stood, but it clearly wasn't a rescue; he was holding her firmly on her feet. She struggled in vain.

"Welcome to the jungle!" The voice she had heard laughing bellowed.

A short and fat wild cat appeared through the vines in a tree facing theirs. The dark stripes of his fur were converging towards his yellow eyes. Judy desperately looked through the forest for her partner. Red fur caught her eyes in a tree nearby. Even if he was bigger than she was, Nick couldn't compete against the two ocelots that were holding him steady.

The wild cat had continued his speech, directly addressing Judy.

"We got fun and games! We got everything you want, honey, we know the names." He suavely told her of his screeching voice.

Judy didn't need the rest of his explanation to put two and two together: they had found the drug cartel.

"We are the people that can find whatever you may need." He dramatically shouted. "If you got the money honey we got your disease."

He laughed again, joined by multiple other felines Judy hadn't noticed in the trees around them. He now looked at Nick. The ocelots were teasingly tracing lines in his fur with their claws.

"Welcome to the jungle," The wild cat addressed the fox. "Watch it bring you to your knees. I wanna watch you bleed." He added in a whisper, with a voracious smile.

He looked completely insane. Judy felt exasperated. _Of course, he had to be a crazy egomaniac drama queen who spoke in verses and did monologues._

"In the jungle, we take it day by day. If you want it you're gonna bleed but it's the price you pay." He concluded.

The feral cat jumped, surprisingly agile, joining Judy and her captor on the tree where they stood. He caressed her face of his fat paw, only brushing her fur with the tip of his claws.

"And you're a very sexy girl. Mmmmmm very hard to please. You can taste the bright lights but you won't get there for free."

Judy's face hardened. Her sensitive ears could hear Nick growling lowly in the nearby tree. She swiftly tried to bite the fingers taunting her, but the criminal swiftly withdrew his paw.

"Naughty." He snickered. "I wanna hear you scream!"

The wild cat made very rude, vulgar noises with his high-pitched voice, mimicking a female orgasm. Judy glared at him, unimpressed.

"Yes, welcome to the jungle." He repeated, gesturing the forest around them. "It gets worse here everyday. You learn to live like an animal, in the jungle where we play. If you got a hunger for what you see you'll take it eventually. You can have everything you want, but you better not take it from me."

The cat waved his finger in front of Judy, as to reprimand bad behaviour. The felines in the trees around them were savagely roaring, laughter half recognisable hidden in their screams. Their chief looked at both Nick and Judy.

"I'm gonna watch you plead." He said in a bloodcurdling tone.

He turned his back on them and looked down the branch were they stood, at the bottom less pit between the trees.

"And when you're high you never ever want to come down." He chuckled to himself. "So down, so down, so down."

Judy didn't know fear very well, as she rarely felt it. But she wasn't stupid, and she did feel apprehension when she looked into the mad cat's eyes. He suddenly swerved her way, grabbed her and, with a surprising force for a mammal not so much bigger than she was, dangled her above the abyss from which the trees rose.

"JUDY!" Came Nick's distressed call.

Judy wouldn't give the wild cat the satisfaction of hearing her scream. But she couldn't stop her features from reflecting her alarm.

"You know where you are?" The feline asked her, almost screaming with his high-piched voice. "You're in the jungle baby! You gonna dieee."

He waggled her strongly. She searched for Nick's red fur in the forest but her vision was blurred as she was shaken. The other members of the cartel around them were cheering.

"Welcome to the jungle, watch it bring it to you knees. It's gonna bring you DOWN." The cat concluded threateningly.

He let out a short, aggressive cry as he shoved her into the abyss. And she fell.


	13. Ch 13 - The Drug Cartel 2

I added a little something at the end of this already existing chapter :) I'm working on chapter 14, it's gonna be very interesting! Still, thanks a lot to all of you for the hits, the reviews, the favs, the follows!

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Chapter 13 – The Jungle Cartel (Part 2: Nicole's whereabouts)

Nick's heart was ponding in his chest as he tried to stabilise himself. His arms waved in the air, his tail trying to keep him straight. The fall must have been at least a hundred meters high, and he was still processing the fact that he was somehow quite alive. As his body touched the ground again, he bounced back into the air surrounded by falling leaves and flowers, a bit lower this time. He had landed on what looked like an endless trampoline, camouflaged by the forest's falling waste. Another body was distorting the trampoline, impeding Nick's rebound.

"Carrots!" He shouted with relief, making his way towards his partner on the bouncing ground.

"I'm ok!" She replied, almost laughing as she struggled to unravel herself from the vines and flowers covering her.

Nick's relief was short-lived; a purring laughter soon echoed around them. The feral cat's vicious face appeared through the trees surrounding them, closely followed by his acolytes.

"Sorry I didn't introduce myself properly, but I don't really appreciate mammals just wandering in my jungle uninvited." He smiled at them maliciously. "I'm Fedor. Now, no use beating around the bush, what business do two cops have to attend to in the middle of the jungle? Oh, don't give me that face, do I look stupid to you?"

He looked many things to Nick – ruthless, dangerous, unpredictable – but stupid wasn't one of them. The cat walked along a branch that hovered over the trampoline, getting closer to them. He eyed them from above, hunched on his branch.

"Judy, Judy, oh dear Judy. So young and yet so ambitious, I _love_ it! Impressive for a bunny. Years of hard studies and training, with no one to believe in you. Five years, if I'm not mistaken. Tell me Judy, how are mom and dad doing? Is little Flora in school yet? Oh they grow up so fast. Little bunnies are so adorable, I could just… eat them up!" He said, grinning widely at her.

Nick looked at Judy's angry face. _He_ didn't even know the name of any of her siblings. How could that cat know any of this?

"And you sir!" Fedor turned to Nick. "Oh, oh, you are quite an interesting young mammal. A con artist who becomes a police officer? Tell me, Nicholas, is the ZPD aware of the fortune you owe this community in taxes? And," he paused there, enjoying the knowledge he was about to display "what unnatural… interests you have. I mean, I get it, you can't trust a vixen for your life. I would have understood a pretty pussy, or hell, a sexy mink. But a fluffy bunny?"

He whistled, looking highly amused.

"Way to go against the evolutionary tree! Haha! I love it. I love _you_!" He added for the both of them, rubbing his hands together. "So, what are two funny coppers like you doing here?" He repeated, leaning on his branch as if admiring the view.

As covered as they were, Nick understood threats when they were being thrown at him. He felt he may have underestimated the fat cat. Clearly Judy wasn't feeling the same way.

"We are investigating the murder of Ivette Proudhorse, and our evidence suggests that one of your mammals had a quarrel with her. W – "

"Woah! No need to get on our high horses here, officer Fluff." The cat interrupted her. "We were just messing with you."

He started laughing loudly. His laughter was echoed by all the felines surrounding them in the trees.

"Haaa!" Fedor sighted. "I told you I'm not stupid. As if I would hurt the godparents to Mr. Big's grandchild. Haha! Look, I don't want any trouble, and neither do you. Now, calmly ask me what you wanted to ask me, and I will let you go, and our path needn't ever cross again."

Judy seemed a bit taken aback by this sudden twist of events.

"Erm, we would like to ask a few questions to Nicole."

"See, that wasn't so hard." Fedor smiled. "She's not here at the moment. You can find her at the Dancing Tigress, in Eastern Alpinetown. But first, let me ask you this. When was Ivette killed, missy?"

"Thursday before last."

"You can interrogate Nicole all you want, but she was working at that very same club. She always does on Thursdays. Payday you know. Lots of costumers. Ask the girls, I'm sure they'll confirm that." He paused for a while, his wicked smile frozen on his face as if quite enjoying himself. Then, the smile disappeared suddenly. "Now get the hell out of this jungle."

Nick didn't need to be told so twice. He got to his feet and awkwardly walked up to Judy on the bouncing canvas they both stood on. He firmly grabbed her shoulders and directed her towards the forest, sensing that she might try to ask more questions and overstay her welcome.

"That was… thrilling." Judy sighted as they walked through the forest, heading for Jungle Park town.

She looked up at him, smiling shyly.

"Thrilling?" Nick retorted angrily. "Judy, it was terrifying."

Her ears fell and her eyes widened.

"I thought I would loose you."

He had stopped. She eyed him silently for a moment.

"Oh Nick." She embraced him. "We're both fine, see? You knew this job had its share of danger and adrenalin."

"I know." He sighted, caressing her ears.

They had to walk for a long time to find the way back to their car. Eventually, they were safely driving back to the precinct. Dusk had turn into night. City Center was as bright as it was in broad daylight. Shining light panels shot ever-changing images through the darkness. The image of a middle-aged zebra over the news channel caught Nick's eye. The headline read "Billionaire philanthropist funding Zootopia's Modern Art Museum". Yvette's beautiful body, lying cold and inert on the motel room's floor, came back to Nick's mind, sending shivers down his spine. As much as he tried to shake it off, the image kept crawling back in his mind.

"How about some takeout tonight?" Judy's voice interrupted his train of thought. "Asian maybe?"

"Yeah. Sounds good."


	14. Ch 14 - The Parents

Hey I did not forget you guys! Here is the long waited for continuation. If it has been a long time since you read the last chapter (Chapter 13), start there, because I added a little something at the end! Can't wait for your reviews :)

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Chapter 14 – The Parents

The following morning, Judy was woken up by the shrilling sound of her ringing tone. Moaning with her face buried in her pillow, her hand searched for the phone on the bedroom floor. Nick wined beside her and turned around to clumsily grab her, eyes tight. She finally caught the device and answered.

"Yes?" She asked sleepily.

"Judy!" Her parents voice barked happily in her sensitive ear. "Are you sleeping pumpkin?"

"Mom, Dad! As a matter of fact, I was. How are y- "

"No need to do this over the phone honey, come an open the door!"

"The… the door?"

"Yes! Haven't you heard us? You didn't answer when we knocked, so we tried to call you. Figured you might be sleeping."

"You are at my apartment!?"

"Yes, dear. You really _were_ sleeping heavily, try to keep up. Can't you hear us through the door?"

Judy was actually quite well awake. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her nose began to twitch.

"Oh guys, I'm… I'm not home right now. How abou-"

"Not home?! But you said you were sleeping! Where else would you be sleeping?"

"Er, I'm at a friend's. We were out late yesterday."

"Judy, this is a dangerous city! You can't go sleeping around any place! How secure is this friend's place? Why were you out late? Please tell me you didn't walk outside after dark."

Judy groaned.

"Dad, I'm a big girl. I'm a police officer for carrot's sake!"

Nick giggled inaudibly in her ear. "Carrot's sake, adorable."

"Judy." Stu's voice rang flatly in the phone's speakers. "Wasn't that your… male… fox… partner's voice?"

Great hearing was a family trait.

"Er…" _No point in covering it up anymore._ "Yes."

A long, uncomfortable silence followed.

"Soooo, you dropped by to surprise me, how sweet!" Judy exclaimed forcibly. "How about I meet you at the corner's coffee shop in twenty minutes?"

"Y-yes of course sweetie. See you then. Bye."

"Bye!" Judy fake-smiled while hanging off. "Arrrgh."

Her face fell back into her pillow. Nick pulled her closer.

"You think they know?" He asked her softly.

"As much as you like to call us dumb bunnies, they're not completely oblivious you know." Judy answered anxiously. "But they are old-fashioned and a bit stuck up. They will probably sweep it under the rug. Look the other way. It's okay I was never one to share my emotional life with my family."

She laughed as she remembered some family memories.

"It's funny, I had this aunt, Aunt Flora. She lived with this bunny lady, miss Jane. My parents used to say we'd go visit Aunt Flora and her friend. Pff! _Friend_. They had lived in the same apartment for 20 years! The apartment had only 2 bedrooms: one with this huge king-sized bed, and one empty with the washing machine in it. Come on! They had to know. But they would never acknowledge them."

"That's kind of sad." Nick said, his face half-buried in his pillow.

"Yeah… I don't think they minded much." Judy shrugged, laying on her back. "I know I wouldn't."

"No?"

Nick's eyes were anxiously fixing hers.

"Should I?" She answered, surprised. "What good would it do? Arrgh, gotta go have breakfast with the parents."

She jumped off the bed.

"Wanna come?" She asked, getting dressed.

"Er…"

Nick looked at the alarm clock. It read 6:08.

"Nooo?" He answered as if proposing something crazy. "You rabbits. In what world is getting up at 6 o'clock on a Saturday a normal thing?"

Judy laughed and kissed him goodbye on the cheek. The sun was palely shinning on the empty streets of the city and the sky was tinted with pink. It was a beautiful morning just like Judy loved them. Brisk and perfect for an early run. But for now, the subway would have to do. She was back in her neighbourhood in no time, hurrying to meet her parents at Cornelio's Coffee.

"He guys!" Judy exclaimed, a genuine feeling of tenderness filling her chest as she recognized the familiar silhouettes of her parents chatting at a cute table.

She hoped through the shop and embraced them both from behind.

"I missed you so much! It's so good to see you here!"

Stu awkwardly patted her forearm. "Yes, good to see you. Sweetie."

Judy ignored the uncomfortable encounter and sat in front of her parents.

"You finally decided to overcome your dislike of the city for me, I'm flattered." She teased.

A cute antelope waitress came by and took her order.

"I really like this place, I'm glad we got to come here together." She smiled at her parents.

Still no answer. Her mother kept looking at her coffee.

"Is something wrong? You don't like the coffee?" She asked, trying without success to break the tension.

"No." Stu answered. "Everything… good. Everything good."

"Yes." Bonnie added absentmindedly. "Good to see you Judy."

"OK…" Judy said unsurely. "So, what have you been up to? How's the farm? Are you still partnering with Gideon's pastry shop?"

Judy's keen detective eyes didn't miss the subtle twitch of Stu's ear.

"Gideon… yes. Great… fox. Great guy. Great fox guy."

Judy sighted inwardly. _Ok, guess there's no way around the elephant in the room then._

"Dad, mom. You know I am a grown doe."

Her mother's eyes were filling with tears. Bonnie looked at the ceiling, trying to keep the tears from spilling on her cheeks.

"Mom, are you OK?"

"I just – I just don't want you to get hurt. Life is difficult enough for you as it is."

"What are you talking about –"

"You are a small mammal living in a large mammal world. You are a rabbit police officer. You are a female in an all-male profession…"

"And I am doing just fine." Judy mumbled, feeling a bit irritated.

"… And you –" Bonnie paused, looking shocked, searching for words. "You…"

"I'm seeing a fox."

Stu nearly chocked on his coffee. There was more than discomfort in the air. Her parents looked… angry? The look of mammals who had somehow failed.

"Mom, I'm still me. I didn't change."

Bonnie's eyelids were furiously beating her tears away, drenching her long lashes.

"You don't have to worry for me, you know how strong I am." Judy cast a reassuring look at them both.

The antelope came back, placing Judy's mocha in front of her and offering her parents a refill. She seemed completely oblivious to the tension around the table and disappeared without a blink.

"I guess I just…" Bonnie continued. "I never thought one of my babies would bring a fox home one day."

"Why ever not?" Judy asked exasperated.

"Because it's just not natural for bunnies –"

"There it is, the old fox complaint. You –"

"Yes, young lady." Stu snapped. "Becoming business partner is a thing, but intimate partner is another! There's never been a bunny who dated a fox before! Never!"

The coffee shop fell silent. The few other customers threw them curious looks. Judy smiled, unwittingly reminded of a certain day at the fair.

"Then, I guess I'll have to be the first one."

* * *

"You TOLD them?" Nick bewailed.

Judy had found him lazily shuffling through the news on his cellphone at his kitchen counter. His breakfast lay on the counter, barely touched. His shirt was half buttoned and his fur disheveled. Still he managed to look ravishingly handsome.

"Nick, they already knew. They're not stupid." She replied unapologetically.

The fox sighed.

"I guess I just thought I'd have a little more time before… well." He stretched deeply. "So, what did they say? Where are they now?"

"There here."

"WHAT!?"

He dropped his phone, but didn't pick it up.

"Judy, I'm not ready for this. I- I can't –"

"Relax, they're not here for you. I told them you were called at work." She explained as she made her way to his bedroom. "Besides, I don't think they wanted to see you either… I just stopped by to get my things, we're going for a tour of the city."

"Oh." Nick picked up his phone. "OK. What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know. How about you find yourself some useful employment for once?" She teased him, coming back with her backpack. "You _could_ really go to work."

"Argh, Judy it's my day off!"

"Bye Nick!"

And she was off.


	15. Ch 15 - The Dance Club

Thanks to everyone who is sticking with me despite my terrible tardiness... But don't worry, I am going to finish this story, and of course give you quality material, no matter how much time it's going to take! Here's another piece of the puzzle for you ;)

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Chapter 15 – The Dance Club

Nick wondered how Judy would react when she learned what he had done on this beautiful Saturday. Hopefully the police officer in her would be thrilled that he was finally working on a day-off. She was such a bad influence on him. On the other hand, the girlfriend side of her might not be that happy. He looked up at the sign above the dark entrance. The Dancing Tigress. _Here we go_.

He showed his civil ID at the bouncer, payed the cover and entered the place. Even though the club was almost empty at this early hour, it was still hot and smelled of sweat and alcohol. A curvaceous wolverine was poll-dancing for a few costumers, her almost naked body covered in glitters. Her dark chocolate fur was clipped short on her black skin, revealing her strong physique. Nick's eyes, seeing perfectly in this subdued atmosphere, lingered for a moment over the generous buttocks of the dancer. A voluptuous artic vixen walked past him carrying a tray of empty glasses, wearing almost nothing but high heels. Usually, Nick was pretty smooth and confident with the ladies, no matter how attractive they were. But this time he felt unease, thinking about Judy. Judy who was currently facing denial from her family for him. He gulped and approached the wolverine dancer on the stage.

"Nicholas Wilde, ZPD. Mind if I ask you a few questions?" He told her loudly over the music.

She gave him a neutral nod, slightly shrugging, and kept dancing. Nick supposed this meant yes.

"What's your name?"

"Candy."

Nick decided to accept her need for privacy.

"How long have you been working here, Candy?"

"I don't know, probably five years or so." She pondered, suavely embracing the poll.

"And during how many of those years has Nicole been your manager?"

"All of them. She is a good boss. She is not in trouble, is she?"

"I'm only here to make sure that I was correctly informed. When can she usually be found here?"

"She is here most of the days of the week. But she is always here on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays."

"Can you remember her being here two Thursdays ago?"

Candy closed her beautiful brown eyes while turning around the poll.

"Yes. I'm sure because she hasn't missed a single Thursday for the last five years."

"Thank you for your time."

Nick returned to the alley, observing his surroundings. He intercepted the vixen waitress as she came back his way.

"Do you need something to drink?" She asked him.

Her voice was incredibly sweet, despite the loud music that was trying to bury it. Her eyes were highlighted by dark long eyelashes, shining brightly on her glowing pale face. Nick's throat felt really dry. He was making great efforts to look her in the eyes, and no lower.

"No." He said flatly. As she simply started to walk again, he added "Officer Wilde, ZPD. I'd like to ask you a few questions."

Her name was Roxy. She quickly confirmed what Candy had told him. Nicole was working on the day of Yvette's murder.

He averted his gaze from the beautiful waitress as she went back to work and searched for the lioness manager, Nicole. He found her easily. Strong looking, she was wearing a sober tailor suit. She was standing in a remote corner, carefully keeping watch on the show. Nick's ears felt relieved as he walked towards her, leaving the loud music behind with the stage.

"Hi, my name is Nicholas Wilde, I'm a ZPD officer." Nick addressed her, pulling out his badge from under his shirt.

"I know who you are. Fedor told me you would come to see me. Where is your cute bunny friend? Didn't she want to join us?" Nicole retorted with a sly smile not unlike Nick's famous look.

Her voice was deep and pleasant. Even if her outfit and makeup were discreet, she emitted an aura of femme fatal with her high stature and calm attitude.

"Good, then you know why I'm here." Nick replied, ignoring her taunting.

He leaned on the wall next to her, the top of his head barely reaching her shoulders, and put on his charm mask. Even though clearly unimpressed, Nicole seemed amused by his attitude.

"What do you want to know?" She asked of her sensual voice.

"You were seen with Yvette a few days before her death. Could you tell me what was the subject of this meeting?"

Her long lashes beat slowly a few times as she pondered, looking rather sad.

"I had simply come to supply Vettie and arrange meetings between her and some new clients."

"And when was that?"

"Sometime in the afternoon I think. I can't remember which day exactly. I think it was a Tuesday."

"Is that all that was discussed?"

"Yes."

"A witness reported a heated argument between the two of you. Care to elaborate?"

Nicole sighted.

"It was in regard of those meetings. I feel terrible about it now. To think that I spoke to her that way when she was going to be killed… But I only did my job."

Nick let her take her time to tell her story, encouraging her only with enquiring eyes.

"Yvette refused the deliveries, because she was otherwise engaged. That can sometimes happen, usually we can arrange for another dealer to take the job. But it was not the first time this happened with Yvette, and honestly, I was getting tired of it. Most of the time, those engagements of hers were not urgent or important. I tried to get her to reschedule her plans, but she wouldn't budge. She could be quite stubborn... When I asked her what was so important that she couldn't do her job, she wouldn't tell me. She only told me that she couldn't go to tundra town for the meetings because she had to be in rainforest district at the same time."

"Do you remember when exactly those meetings were supposed to be?" Nick asked her.

"Oh yes, they were so important for us. I was really furious that she would bail on us like this. They were supposed to take place two Thursdays ago, during the afternoon."

Nick tried to keep his face expressionless, despite the excitement he suddenly felt in his guts: that was the day Yvette had died. What could she have to do that was so important to her? Did she actually go? Was this somehow linked to her death on the same afternoon?

"And you don't have any idea what could have taken Yvette to the rainforest district on that day?" Nick ventured.

"I'm sorry I can't be of more help. I'd like nothing more than for the monster who did this to pay. If I knew anything more, I would tell you."

"Very well… You've been very helpful, thank you."

He turned around, ready to return home, when Nicole called him.

"Wouldn't you like to stay, officer Wilde? It is Saturday, why don't you relax with us for a while?" She winked at him.

Nick shot a look at the white vixen who was bent over a table to gather empty glasses. Her naked rump seemed to invite him over.

"No, but thanks for the offer." He winked back and exited the Dancing Tigress.


	16. Ch 16 - The Car Chase

I really want to thank everyone who is patient enough to stick with this story! Almost a hundred follower, I am blessed. Finally, here is another chapter... it is rather short I'm afraid (sorry Deathsmallcaps), but as you can see from the title, it was always going to be a fast one! I will try to update a lot faster than I did in the last months, I promise. Don't forget to review, I swear every single comment really makes my day :) Also, to any Zelda fans out there, I recently posted a Holidays themed one-shot (Hylia's Night), if that can make up for my poor update schedule... Happy new year everyone!

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Chapter 16 – The Car Chase

Nick couldn't believe he was yet again working on his day off. Judy's parents had left on the 4 o'clock train to the Burrows, much to Nick's relieve, and he had been naive enough to tell the young bunny about what he had learned at the dance club. The good news was, she had entirely focused on what he had learned rather than where it had happened.

In his faithful Coyota, they were surveying the streets of Rainforest district, searching for clues. They had been at it for nearly an hour already.

"Where would Yvette go? Where would Yvette go…" Judy was mumbling frantically, eyes searching through the surrounding trees and buildings as she drove the old station wagon.

It was now completely dark outside, and Nick knew that was making it hard for her to distinguish subtle details. The street lights where reflected in the droplets clinging to everything in this neighbourhood. Everything seemed to be a dark shade of green around them. No, not everything.

"Judy, stop the car." Nick interrupted her rambling.

As she halted on the side of the road, Nick stepped out into the street.

"What is it?" He heard Judy's voice ask through the open passenger door.

He kneeled, observing the thin stream of water coursing alongside the side walk towards the nearest manhole. It was tinted. Tinted red. His eyes followed the watery trail. Fin grains of a reddish sand where resting in its bed. He had seen this strange dirt before. In the autopsy report.

"Limestone." He simply said, showing a reddened fingertip to his partner.

Her eyes widened.

"Nick." She whispered. A smile slowly brightened her face. "Where does it come from?"

"Turn around." Nick jumped back in the car. "We'll follow the watercourse upstream."

And the Coyota was off, pursuing the reddish trail like a hound would track a scent. It ascended in the district, following the main roads. They were soon in a deserted old industrial area. Nature had reclaimed its place over the brick buildings. Creepers and mangroves where drilling through the broken walls and windows. No mammals or cars where venturing in the dark streets.

"Turn right!" Nick suddenly called out, pointing at a narrow alley, his piercing vision picking the reddish track's sharp turn.

The slender car agilely engaged in the passageway. Nick had to navigate his partner through a few other subtle turns, until they stopped again.

"Where did it go…" Nick muttered, his gaze scanning the ground for any red pigment.

He had to step out of the car to find the meager trail again. They proceeded more slowly, stopping occasionally to find the sand again, as water became sparse.

They ended up facing a colossal factory building made from off-white stone blocks. Time had corroded its facade, leaving rusty smears down its walls.

"This is it, Fluff." Nick smiled. "I think we found where Yvette went the day she died."

Judy was beaming. She laughed excitedly. "Let's go check it out!"

Before they could move, an ear-splitting sound tear the forlorn sector, passing through the car. Nick stared at the small round hole cracking his windshield. A gunshot hole.

"Drive, Judy!" He bellowed.

Her foot hit the accelerator mercilessly and she dropped the clutch pedal. The tires screeched as the wheels spun on the wet cobbled path. Nick's head was yanked forward as the car bolted backwards.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" The fox shouted.

He wrenched his neck to look behind them. A dark sedan was parked behind them, and Judy was rushing them towards it, full speed. Through his terror, he couldn't help but notice how ridiculous she looked as she quickly spun the handle to lower the window. Maybe it was indeed time for a new car.

"ZPD, you are under arrest for –" Judy yelled at the tinted window of the sedan but interrupted herself as the dark car darted forward.

"What are you doing, rabbit, we are not even on dutyyyyy!" Nick tried to tell her off but his last word transformed into a surprised scream as she engaged into first gear and dashed after the sedan. Nick's head was again tossed by the sudden motion, this time slammed against his seat.

"We can't let that mammal get away Nick!" She cried as she swiftly shifted through the gears, the old engine roaring. "This may be the key to this case!"

She abruptly turned the steering wheel and tugged the hand break shortly, drifting the old station wagon in pursuit of the sedan, leaving Nick no chance to reply. His hand grasped for support as he was relentlessly rattled through the thigh curves the sedan took to shake them off. But Judy was determined, and an excellent pilot. Nick on the other hand was highly uncomfortable, especially since they had no uniforms, no guns and most of all, no police car. Not only did they lack the useful siren and speakerphone, they also lacked the powerful engine required to chase down other cars.

The sedan had led them back to the highway, where it dangerously sped up. The Coyota almost flew after it.

"Out of the way." Judy grinded her teeth as she zigzagged through the passing cars.

The dark automobile swiftly took the exit towards Bamboo Boondocks. Nick sighted inwardly as Judy engaged in the same exit. That neighbourhood was made up of the narrowest, most labyrinthine and, above all, most crowded streets Nick had ever seen.

Indignant screams reached their ears through the lowered window of the car as their target rushed between the mammals walking on the streets. The nightlife in Bamboo Boondocks was flourishing: illuminated signs sparkled, lanterns hung in chaplets above the streets, steam rose from the countless restaurant counters. The towering wooden buildings looked like the smallest draft would send the whole neighbourhood crumbling. All of this flashed by Nick's window.

"This is crazy." The fox despaired.

"This is perfect!" Judy responded. "This felon is bound to trap himself in a corner or another, we just have to follow him."

The Coyota took off for a dreadful moment as the street it was hurtling down made a sudden descent. A garland of colorful pennants clung to the windshield, its extremities flapping at the sides of the car. The latter finally landed, very gracelessly, the metallic body sending sparks as it chafed the pavement.

"We're catching up!" Judy exclaimed triumphantly.

"WATCH OUT!" Nick interrupted her.

The skillful rabbit yanked the steering wheel, shortly avoiding the old lady penda that was crossing the street, completely oblivious to the commotion around her. The Coyota spun on itself, coming to a halt in the middle of an intersection. Multiple honks furiously pummeled at them.

"Woah. Where did it go?" Judy breathed, searching anxiously for the dark sedan through the night scene.

"There!" Nick pointed at the tail of the car disappearing in an alleyway.

They were quickly back on track, engaging the old car in the narrow passage. The sedan was out of sight, but Nick knew where this alley led. In traffic hour, it was a useful shortcut to the main bridge back towards the rainforest district. The drawbridge.

"Judy, can you hear a crossing alarm?"

"Yes, why?"

"Drive faster!"

As they emerged on the main road again, sure enough, the sedan was heading for the drawbridge. The deck was still down, but for how long?

However, as they raced down the curve leading to the bridge, the tail of the Coyota started drifting on the watery pavement. Holding on for dear life, Nick saw Judy desperately trying to regain control over the car, steering left and right, but it only increased the swaying until they stopped backwards in the middle of the road. Nick looked at his partner's bewildered face, holding his breath. They were both miraculously unarmed. Then he felt himself violently thrown sideways as a vehicle came crashing into them. Then another. And another.

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Well, here goes nothing! Now, our heroes are getting real close to catching their bad guy, but I have to untangle a few events and clues to make sure everything makes sense. I will write the next chapter as soon as everything is in order in my little head. Don't forget to review ;)


	17. Ch 17 - The Suspension

FINALLY! Urgh, how I am sorry for the delay. Honestly, I was simply caught up in the writing of another fic. Many thanks to stumill31, , akili and guest Spectre56 for their reviews. Just to set the record straight though, the last update was during this Christmas break, so it wasn't over a year ago (although I agree it was too long ago...). I really appreciate all of your enthusiasm for this story!

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Chapter 17 – The Suspension

The silence weighted on the room like a menacing sky before the storm. And Judy knew thunder would rain down on them at any moment. Distillated anger seemed to steam from the buffalo's nostrils.

"FIFTEEN VEHICULES." Chief Bogo dangerously stated, at the maximum level of decibel his voice could reach while speaking. It was frightening how he managed to speak even louder than he could scream. "NINETEEN CIVILIANS. FIVE MILLION DOLLARS IN MATERIAL DAMMAGE TO ROAD INFRASTRUCTURES THAT ARE GOING TO COST US A HUMMONGUS INCREASE IN OUR INSURANCE FEES."

Judy humbly dropped her gaze to the floor. All the work that she had put into gaining the respect of her superior officer was being flushed down the drain by the events of the last day.

"AND YOU TWO ARE LUCKY TO HAVE CAUSED SUCH MASSIVE DESTRUCTION AND TO HAVE EXTRICATED YOURSELVES FROM THIS MESS WITHOUT A SINGLE SCRATCH!" He thundered, without showing a single ounce of relieve. "ONCE AGAIN, YOU DIDN'T EVEN RECEIVE A FUCKING SLAP ON THE WRIST TO TEACH YOU A LESSON FOR YOUR WRECKLESSNESS."

She did feel lucky. It had taken the night for them to be transported from the crash scene to the nearest hospital, and then be thoroughly examined, but they were miraculously unharmed, except from some bruises.

Shooting a nervous side glance at Nick, Judy assessed her companion's reaction to this firm scolding. The fox was not one to be intimidated by – or even care for – the opinion of figures of authority. Yet his face was unusually impassive, devoid of its signature smirk.

"Well, if karma won't do it, I will teach you a lesson." Bogo's voice lowered menacingly. "You are both off the case, and suspended for two weeks, without pay."

At that, Judy couldn't suppress her protestation.

"What? But, Chief, there's a –"

"A murderer on the loose, I know." The buffalo's shoulders dropped as he spoke, his head heavy with the burden of this thought. "And we have several excellent detectives in this police department, other than yourselves."

Judy knew she could never rest easy with that notion in mind. She would go crazy, warming the bench when she should be helping.

"And Officer Hopps," Bogo added firmly, "I know you cannot find it in your big rabbit heart to let things go. This is why I must tell you that, should you attempt to continue working on this case – hell, should you even bring me back the culprit whilst having complied to every one of our code of conduct's rules – you will both be fired."

"Sir –" Nick interjected.

"Am I understood?" The Chief cut across the fox as though he hadn't heard anything.

Both of the partners dropped their heads, reluctantly muttering their agreement.

"Now get out of my office." The buffalo sighed, turning to a pile of files that awaited him on his desk.

Tails between legs – or at least fluffy pompom hanging low – the fox and the bunny slowly got down from their chair. It was all they could do not to drag their feet on the carpeted floor as they made for the door.

"Oh, and one last thing." The deep voice of Chief Bogo halted them.

Judy turned anxious eyes to the massive mammal. Something different in his tone made her stupidly hope that he was about to somehow approve of something they did.

"When you come back, other than learning not to put yourselves and the public in danger when you are off duty, you'll have to fill this out for HR."

The bunny officer apprehensively walked up to the desk, where she climbed on a chair to reach the document her chief was extending to her. Its title, in bold capital letters, read "CONSENSUAL RELATIONSHIP AGREEMENT". Her hearth skipped a beat and her face suddenly felt embarrassingly hot. Her thoughts confusedly flickered to her partner's fears and wishes.

"Oh, er, I – I think there might be a – a misunderstanding, sir." Judy stuttered in raising panic.

"I think not." The buffalo insisted, a hint of amusement glistening in his eyes.

"O-Okay."

She swiftly grabbed the form and stormed out of the office, followed by a confused fox. As they made their way along the mezzanine towards their own quarters, he eyed her suspiciously.

"What was that about, Cottontail?" He finally asked.

Judy sighed; she was fairly sure that the clever fox already knew what it was.

"Chief Bogo wants us to declare our relationship to HR." She mumbled sheepishly, before blurting out anxiously: "I swear Nick, I didn't tell anyone!"

"Woah there, Judy. No one's accusing anyone here." Nick soothed. "Although if one was, they would probably be accusing Clawhauser." He added through his teeth.

The bunny chuckled feebly. After a few moments, she sighed again.

"Urgh that turn of event is a real bummer." She groaned.

"Really? A bummer?" Nick repeated flatly. "Judy, we're lucky to be alive. That car crash may not have killed us, but I was sure Chief Bogo would end the job."

"Yeah… yet here we are." She attempted a humorous smirk.

"A bummer!" Nick laughed darkly. "It's a real pain in the ass, that's what it is. We've lost the biggest case of our career. I thought you of all people would be more upset."

Judy only shot him an understood look, raising an eyebrow. The fox's eyes narrowed, before widening in disbelieve. She widened her eyes in response, pointedly inclining her head.

"You cannot be serious." Nick whispered.

"I'm sure we can find a way to keep helping. Chief Bogo hasn't forbidden us to anonymously assist the force with basic civilian actions, has he?"

"Are you daft?" Nick stopped in his tracks, letting a heavy pause mark his question. "Do you _really_ think that doesn't go against every intention Chief Bogo had when he removed us from the case? Didn't you learn anything from the lesson he just gave you?"

"I'm not going to sit by while a murderer roams our city, Nick."

Arms crossed, the fox glared at her menacingly, as if measuring the strength of her determination.

"Of course, you're not." He finally replied. "So you don't mind throwing me under the bus for it? Because I certainly intend to keep my job, Fluff."

"What? I don't intend to lose it either."

"Do you? Because you sure are trying your best to get us fired. Didn't you hear the part where we _both_ lose our job should _you_ keep investigating? Believe it or not, Judy, I didn't become a cop just for your pretty lavender eyes. I did it to show the foxes of this goddamn speciesist of a city that it is possible to succeed in this rigged system, to show myself that I was not doomed to be what others saw in me. I did it because I love it. And now you want to risk taking it all away from me?"

His words made her stomach twist with unease. He may not have screamed them – he never seemed to do – but he was angry alright. She had a way of speaking without thinking of his feelings, and she hated that about herself.

"No. Nick, of course no, but –" She stammered.

But before the words were out of her mouth, he had scoffed and walked off. Her hearth would have run after him and told him how important his opinion was to her, but it also feared how much more damage her clumsy words could do. And her head wanted to rush to Clawhauser and find out who had inherited their case. Deciding that Nick's feelings could wait until they were in the privacy if his apartment, she opted for the second option.

"Judy!" The cheetah greeted her as she walked around the high reception desk to join him. "Thank goodness you weren't hurt in that terrible car crash. My poor heart couldn't have –"

"How could you?" Judy cut across him in what she hoped was a believable impersonation of pure outrage.

Guilt immediately flashed through his eyes. So it was him.

"Wha-what are you talking about, precious flower?" He stammered innocently.

"Don't give me that 'precious flower' bullshit, you _tattletale_!" Judy continued her falsely indignant rambling.

"I-I didn't mean to –"

"You didn't mean to make me lose my best friend?" She managed to conjure angry tears at the corner of her eyes. "Because of your fallacious insinuations, the Chief is strongly thinking of splitting us apart, because he thinks our relationship is hindering our abilities as cops! You've seen us work, you know this isn't true!"

"Of course, of course!" Clawhauser swiftly agreed. "Oh, Judy, I'm so sorry! That's just who I am, an incorrigible blabbermouth. Please forgive me."

Judy turned her head in the perfect imitation of wounded pride, letting out a dramatic sob.

"I don't know that I can ever thrust you again." She sighed.

"Don't say that!" The cheetah pleaded. "There must me something I can do to make you forgive me."

Judy's ear twitched.

"I-I don't know." She said hesitantly. "Maybe there is something."

"Anything for you!" He cried.

"Perhaps you could tell me who will be taking up our murder case."

Shock froze the dispatcher's face.

"Judy, I'm sorry but I've got strict orders from Chief –"

"Awh the treason I am suffering, Clawhauser!" The bunny cop wailed.

The cheetah silently sat beside her as she hid her face behind a theatrical arm.

"I suppose I… I could inadvertently let you see the file, you know, as it lies on my desk." He dubiously proposed.

Judy sniffed.

"Yes, that would be very repentant behavior." She nodded.

"Good." Clauhauser smiled, although he did seem a little unnerved by this prospect.

Nick wasn't feeling like a champ that evening. His neck hurt from the whiplash he had received on that car crash. His stomach bubbled with the unpleasant feeling of shame. His head was devastated by a tornado of furious, and mostly anxious thoughts.

He sat in front of the TV, absent-mindedly looking at the evening newscast. Anything to take his mind off this terrible day. Worst of all was the total lack of consideration he had received from the mammal he held most dear in his life. So he grumpily chewed at his burned dinner, glaring at the snow leopard journalist.

"The city is shaken today by the loss of one of its greatest philanthropist," the reporter's voice resounded lowly in the silent apartment, "renown art patron Philip Goldstein. Mr. Goldstein died today at the age of fifty-four, from the complications of a rare genetic disorder he had been fighting his whole life."

Nick's snapped back to attention as videos of the philanthropist passed on the TV screen. It seemed karma wouldn't allow him to rest easy – everywhere he looked, he only saw zebras. This case was messing with his head. Philip Goldstein was a very elegant zebra for his age, dressed in expensive suits imitating the natural pattern of his fur in eccentric colors – vibrant purple covered in white stripes for example.

"Mr. Goldstein had made the headlines recently for his funding of Zootopia's Modern Art Museum." The snow leopard continued. "He was best known for his –"

A knock on Nick's apartment door interrupted the reporter.

"Nick." The familiar voice made his heart tighten in his chest.

He suspected – maybe sort of hoped – she would be coming home tonight, although he didn't think she would have disappeared for the whole day. But he still hadn't decided how he felt about it.

"Nick, it's me." Judy knocked again. "I know you're there, I can hear the TV."

That didn't surprise him, even if the latter was playing really low.

"The Hoof Health Research Group of the University of Zootopia wants to raise awareness of the painful condition that plagued Mr. Goldstein." The TV report continued. "Donations can be made by going on the web page www. hoofhealth. org."

"Please let me in Nick. I want to talk." Judy pleaded.

Images of diseased horses and zebras streamed on the screen – all hooves with cracked and peeling walls. Suddenly, realization downed on Nick. All of it seemed to unfold perfectly into his head. Everything was linked. It was staring them in the face this whole time. So many zebras.

"Judy." He muttered in his epiphany. "JUDY!"


End file.
